


Inarizaki Memories

by espeos



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Platonic Relationships, Reader-Insert, Slice of Life, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25925998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/espeos/pseuds/espeos
Summary: In which the Inarizaki Boys’ Volleyball Team sometimes test your patience and make you proud of them.
Relationships: Akagi Michinari/Reader, Ginjima Hitoshi/Reader, Inarizaki Volleyball Club/Reader, Kita Shinsuke/Reader, Miya Atsumu/Reader, Miya Osamu/Reader, Ojiro Aran/Reader, Oomimi Ren/Reader, Suna Rintarou/Reader
Comments: 113
Kudos: 764





	1. Of Buckets, Brooms, and Boys

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Managing the Cat's Den](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24131674) by [edensgarden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edensgarden/pseuds/edensgarden). 
  * Inspired by [The Life of a Manager](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24913282) by [akasuns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akasuns/pseuds/akasuns). 



> After having read many manager!reader fics and wanting to write one since the age of dawn, I took the plunge and now present to you yet another manager!reader fic (also my first ao3 fic) to add to your collections. Admittedly, I’m a little too attached to Inarizaki and just wanted to show the entire team some love. Hope you enjoy reading this one!

Whatever it was that you walked into, you desperately wished you had turned back so you could pretend you didn't see it. But, alas, you couldn't. Somehow, you became the manager to a team of _hooligans_.

It wasn't unusual for the twins to wreak havoc and chaos wherever they went. In fact, you were used to it. You have been cleaning up after and putting up with their antics for the decade you'd, _unfortunately_ , known them. You have long since mastered the art of reigning in the notoriously obnoxious Miya twins.

However, you hadn't expected _every single one of the starting members_ (including the usually responsible third years) to somehow wind up in this literal mess. Considering all the other comparable incidents that occurred in the past year, it was likely they joined in some time after the twins started it. One way or the other, your shoulders drooped and you pinched the bridge of your nose anytime you dared to glance at them. You had stepped out of the gym _for just a couple of minutes_ and they somehow managed to make a total mess of the gym and themselves.

You were fairly certain that Osamu and Suna had been taking down the net before you left, but that very net was smack dab in the middle of the gym; the top of the poles touched one another and they formed into some crooked arrow or sad triangle. It was safe to say that none of the team had followed your instructions: rather than cleaning up the gym, they made the gym a spectacle. Volleyballs were littered all over—there was more on the ground than before you left to your utter bafflement and confusion. Water bottles rolled around the floor as some members proceeded to kick them out of their paths. Some drenched wiping cloths clung to the edge of the benches while others were haphazardly thrown over a few of the boys' shoulders.

Four buckets were held hostage: Akagi wore one like it was some sort of crown; Atsumu tucked another under his right arm as he swung his entire body back and used the momentum of his swing to splash the remainder of his water at Suna, who used his bucket as a sorry shield to protect himself from getting _more_ wet; Ginjima had shoved his elbow into the last one and _jabbed_ it towards Osamu who barely managed to dodge it.

Similarly, the brooms left for clean-up were being horribly misused: Osamu thrust his at Ginjima in retaliation for the earlier attack, who deftly blocked it with his shielded elbow; Aran lifted the broom up and whirled his wet cloth in the air, swinging at anyone who crossed his path and effectively splashing water on everyone including himself; Oomimi held his broom somewhat properly although he proceeded to jab the wooden tip at the starting libero; Atsumu, the selfish asshole, proudly held his upside down with the brush facing upwards as though it was a regal trident.

 _There's water everywhere. How? How did they do it?_ You briefly wondered as your brain processed the crime scene. _How'd they pull this off in the couple of minutes they were left on their own?_

It was a miracle that you stayed dry by _just_ narrowly missing the water fight beholding you. A couple of water droplets fell a few inches before your feet, but if you didn't put a stop to this soon, then you would definitely get caught in the crossfire.

Amidst their rambunctious laughter and ridiculous war cries, you continued to stand by the door while taking note of the gym's state as well as the state of your teammates. They clearly hadn't thought about their inescapable clean-up session following their fun. They also haven't noticed you yet, but you were going to change that in a minute—you just needed that minute to collect yourself before putting an end to their "fun."

You sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it all out.

Yes, they were idiots, but they were _your_ idiots. With that thought, you rolled up your sleeves, straightened your back, and took a decisive step forward to the pack of wolves you called your team before clearing your throat.

" _Oi_."

They instantly froze in their tracks and slowly turned to you in unison. Had you not been as tired and annoyed as you were, you might have laughed at how _stupid_ they appeared: sopping wet from being drenched with sweat and water, they resembled a bunch of frightened and drowned kittens. Even Oomimi and Suna, the least outwardly expressive members of the starting lineup, gaped with their eyes wide open.

 _Good_.

You managed to maintain your composure as you stared down at the boys.

Immensely satisfied by how quickly they obeyed your unspoken command to stop, you were more than ready to deliver their deserved punishment.

"What the _hell_ do ya think yer all doin'?" Your Kansai dialect was more pronounced than ever. You supposed you hadn't _entirely_ managed to quell your irritation as you had thought.

"W-we..." Atsumu stuttered in obvious distress, knowing well that you were…pissed, to say the least, "Didn't see ya there! Uh...well, w-we thought we'd clean up!" The rest of the boys all frantically nodded along as though they thought their agreeance would help their case.

It didn't—not when they pulled this sort of shit bi-weekly. You had let them off lightly the past few instances, but you were reaching the end of your fuse.

"I see," you hummed in a deceptively bright and cheery tone, "Well, tell me, _what_ were you trying to clean? The floor? I only see small puddles that are, as _y'know_ , a safety hazard if not wiped down properly. Surely, you know better. The balls? You bunch never cleaned them before, so I'm surprised ya suddenly decided to. Besides, they don't look any cleaner than normal, so that can't be it. The pinnies? Again, you lot never washed them before without _my_ help, but you're more than welcome to do so. Ah, and you're _wearin'_ them! If you have a new cleaning technique that's more efficient than how I've been washing them all this time, _please_ , let me know."

You snapped your fingers as though you were struck with an epiphany, " _Oh_! I see now! You're washing _yourselves_! Novel approach, I must say. Washing while wearing yer sweaty t-shirts and pinnies can't be hygienic, but I applaud ya for tryin' something new. I'm amazed by just how much you hooligans can find a new way to _give me more work to do_ , hmm?"

The twins sweated buckets as you finished your tirade. They and the rest of the team knew that when you got mouthy, they were _in for it_.

Before they could even try to save themselves, you cut in with a placid smile and turned to Aran, "Aran-kun, take the broom off of Atsumu."

Aran put the broom down so that it was standing upright beside him in his shaking grip.

"Akagi-san," you addressed the libero of your team, "Please take the bucket off your head."

He quietly did so and nervously fidgeted with said bucket.

"Oomimi-san, the broom is not intended to be used as a makeshift sword."

He swiftly propped it up against the wall closest to him.

"Ginjima, remove your elbow from the bucket."

He did so.

"Rintarou, the bucket is meant to _hold_ water, not get hit by it."

Suna gently placed the bucket on the floor.

"Osamu, you are holding the broom wrong."

He lowered the broom from its resting place on his shoulders.

"Atsumu, you are holding the broom _and_ bucket wrong."

He lowered the broom and put the bucket on the floor.

After your string of instructions, the team stared at you with bated breaths and wide eyes like you were some sort of drill sergeant at boot camp. Then, you paused for a moment to catch your breath and made sure to meet each and every one of their eyes in the order you addressed them in.

" _Get cleanin'_."

Without missing a beat, the team immediately got moving. You watched them for a moment to make sure they were _actually_ going to clean before heading for the volleyball cart in the far corner of the gym, carefully avoiding the puddles along the way. You pushed the cart to the middle of the gym, now net-free as Suna and Osamu were swiftly making their way to the storage room with it in their hands, and then you walked to the benches to grab the extra untouched towels that were usually reserved for the players. It seems they haven't wiped their sweat after the rather arduous practice today. _They should really use the towels instead of leaving them around_.

You turned to look at them when you were hit with the realization that they'd be bound to catch colds if they stayed in their soaking wet jerseys. Hell, they hadn't even bothered to put on their jackets to warm their bodies after the earlier practice match. As mad as you were at the lot, it wouldn't be fair to let them all get sick. They were the pride and joy of Inarizaki. Moreover, you loved seeing them play in peak condition. _That's_ when they shined the brightest in your eyes.

You sighed and called out to them, "Go take a shower. Yer gonna catch a cold at this rate."

They all halted in their tracks and gaped at you in shock.

"Yer…gonna clean this yourself?" Aran asked bug-eyed.

"Are ya sick, [Name]?" Atsumu questioned.

Osamu studied you carefully for a couple of seconds before solemnly shaking his head, "She was fine earlier though."

"Are…are you sure, [Surname]?" Akagi bit down on his lip guiltily, knowing you had a torturous task ahead of you.

"Just go," you said, "I'm serious. You're gonna get sick."

They hesitated, seemingly torn between warming themselves in the shower and helping you clean up after _their_ mess.

" _Just go_ ," you repeated in a voice that left no room for argument, "Oh, but take off your pinnies and put them on the bench."

At that, they all took off their drenched pinnies and quietly shuffled to the showers.

You waited until every one of them left the gym before you took off your jacket and got to work. Thankfully, the net was back in the storage room as it was supposed to be, which left you with cleaning up the water bottles, buckets, brooms, volleyballs, and wiping cloths.

* * *

Just as you shoved the pinnies in the laundry and walked back into the gym after a strenuous session of cleaning their mess, the team finally finished with their showers. You paid them no mind and groaned as you stretched your aching back.

"Good work," Suna told you as they all approached you.

You let out what felt like the hundredth sigh of the day, "Yeah, thanks."

"We should be thankin' you," Oomimi pointed out with a sheepish grin.

"Good point," you chuckled, tired but no longer angry at them. The cleaning had helped you take your mind off of your ire and stress.

The boys all looked at one another then promptly bowed at you in unison, "We're sorry and thank you very much!"

You blinked a few times at their bowed heads before you turned your own head to the side, " _Pfft_."

Confused, your boys gazed up at you and slowly straightened themselves up.

"It's just…you said 'sorry' and 'thank you' in the same breath," You bit down on your lip to refrain from bursting out in laughter, "O-only you guys are capable of doing that, I swear."

It wasn't even _that_ funny. You could only guess that it was a release of sorts, of the building stress and irritation that had been chipping away at your calm façade the past couple of weeks, but you really did try to not laugh. An apology was an apology, after all, no matter how silly and clumsy it was.

But you couldn't conceal the noise escaping your lips.

"Hey! Don't laugh at our kindness!" Atsumu cried out, half-embarrassed by your reaction.

"Kindness?" You echoed, "You sure weren't kind when ya _kindly_ made a mess for me to clean up."

"Which's why we apologized and thanked you!" Atsumu shrieked.

"Okay, I accept your apologies and you're welcome."

"That _does_ sound kinda weird," Suna acknowledged with a slight nod.

"Yeah, yer right," Osamu agreed.

Ginjima shrugged, "At least [Surname] isn't mad at us anymore."

Akagi patted your shoulder now that you weren't angry at them anymore, "You sure are scary when mad, [Surname]."

"In any case, I'll treat you to some meat buns. Yer always working hard for us," Aran offered with a grateful smile. You tiredly smiled back at him and nodded.

"Aran-kun, buy me too," Osamu chimed in shortly after.

"Ah, me too!" Atsumu followed.

"I wouldn't refuse, Aran."

"Thank you for the treat, Aran."

"In that case, me too!"

"Same with me."

"Buy yer own!" Aran burst out indignantly and appeared to ready himself for his own little lecture.

Then, the door opened and Kita walked in to the gym with his bag in tow. Aran swiftly shut his mouth and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Oh, you all showered already?" He asked as he made his way over.

"The meeting took a long time today," Oomimi noted, carefully avoiding any potential inquiry into their freshly showered states.

"Yes, well, the Interhigh preliminaries are going to start soon, so the coaches had a lot to say," Kita stated, then turned to you, "The coaches were worried. You said you would get yer notes but you never came back."

The team all stiffened in fear. While you were plenty scary yourself, Kita would not go soft on them as you often did.

"Sorry, Kita-san," you apologized, "They were still practicing when I came back, so I got a little sidetracked."

 _Well, more than just a_ little _sidetracked_ , you thought sardonically.

Kita looked at the proud starting lineup of Inarizaki and reprimanded them, "We had a practice match against a strong university team. You should be resting up instead of recklessly pushing yourselves. We need you in top condition for the upcoming Interhigh preliminary games. You are our starting members for a reason, don't forget that."

They all averted their captain's piercing gaze and you knew they were thanking you in their minds for saving them from a far worse lecture.

"And you shouldn't be so soft on them," Kita scolded you in a significantly softer tone, "They can clean up after themselves, but still, good work today. Go change out of your clothes. We'll wait for you outside the clubroom. I heard that Aran is going to treat us to meat buns."

Aran looked at his friend in betrayal.

You glanced between the team and the captain, and then left the gym to change out of your uniform. You had done all you could for them, so now it would depend on whether Kita caught on or not and that wasn't anything you could really control.

* * *

As soon as the door shut behind their exhausted manager and her footsteps were heard retreating from the gym, Kita rested his gaze back onto his anxious teammates.

"What really happened?"

The boys all looked at each other in alarm and panic, wordlessly urging _someone_ to speak out on their behalf. However, no one was willing to be subjected to Kita's cold logic and sharp words. After a few more moments of being stuck in a silent deadlock with one another, Osamu discreetly pinched Atsumu, who yelped out in response, effectively breaking the tense silence.

"Atsumu?" The captain inquired.

The blond setter gulped nervously and refused to meet the intimidating third year's eyes. He cursed his twin out in his head as he stuttered his way around a response, "Er, well…we kinda messed around and [Name] got mad at us."

"And what do ya mean by 'messed around'?"

"We…sorta got into a, um, water fight? With the buckets and brooms? And…maybe the balls, too?"

The rest of the team all waited anxiously for Kita's inevitable lecture, but they were met with a gruelling and what felt like a long few seconds instead.

"You guys really do make things hard for [Surname]," Kita deadpanned.

"W-we know…"

"Since [Surname] went through the trouble to save you all, I'll spare you from the lecture you're probably waitin' for."

"Shinsuke…" Oomimi looked at their captain, touched by his show of benevolence and mercy.

"I'm not gonna be so light next time."

"Yes, sir!" The team exclaimed, except Suna who just looked relieved.

"Let's get our things and go. We said we'd be waiting outside the clubroom so [Surname] must be waitin' for us now. I'm sure yer all hungry for meat buns since Aran's treating."

"Shinsuke, not you too!" Aran cried out as they all started shuffling out of the gym and making their way to the clubroom.

"Heh, thanks, Aran-kun!" Atsumu patted the soon-to-be-broke third year.

"Don't mind," Suna smirked.

" _Itadakimasu_ ," Osamu piped in.

"Shouldn't have offered, Aran," Oomimi said in mock sympathy.

Aran shook his head, "It was for [Name]! For what we did!"

"I didn't hear her stopping us from requestin' meat buns," Akagi pointed out, "And she's the one who should decide…y'know, 'for what we did'."

"Then let's ask!"

"Ya think she'll _really_ defend your wallet?" Atsumu asked, "She might still be a little pissed."

"…Yes."

"That didn't sound certain, Ojiro-san," Ginjima couldn't help but add on to Aran's distress. He was hungry after all that had transpired both during and after practice. He was truly grateful that their manager had let them all off easy this time.

Aran didn't bother to respond any longer and reluctantly resigned himself to his fate. The team would not budge on matters that involved food, especially with Osamu in the mix.

"Actually, Aran-kun, I'd also like an onigiri—with the meat bun, of course."

 _Speak of the devil_ , the third year lamented before shouting out, "Eat dinner at home! Yer meat bun's a snack!"

In the end, Osamu got a meat bun and an onigiri, _and_ ate a full and proper dinner at home, to Aran's never-ending distress and dismay.

* * *

**Extra: The Post-Shower Emergency Meeting**

"So…what should we do?" Ginjima asked as he leaned against a locker and tapped his thigh with his left index finger.

The group of freshly showered boys were all huddled up in the middle of the locker room, keeping their voices low in case their angry manager heard them from the gym.

"Apologize?" Akagi suggested, "It's our fault for starting the mess."

" _And_ she's the one cleaning up for us," Oomimi added.

"But how should we apologize?" Osamu asked, "Together? Separately?"

"Do you think she'll have the patience to hear each of our apologies?" Suna wondered aloud.

Atsumu vigorously shook his head, "Let's not test it."

Aran sighed and glimpsed at the door to the gym, the only thing separating them from their manager, "Together?"

They all exchanged glances with each other before nodding in unison, "Together."

Then, Aran opened the door. It was time to face the music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pinnies are what we call the sleeveless jerseys that the characters typically wear over their t-shirts during practice matches ([example](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/haikyuu/images/2/24/Dru%C5%BCyna_fukurodani_anime.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/700?cb=20151129190150&path-prefix=pl)). I think they are called bibs and vests in some other places. 
> 
> Also, I know that most Japanese high schools don't have showers, but you can't convince me otherwise that Inarizaki (the school with the extra cheering band) hasn't installed a shower room for their illustrious volleyball team. ~~Listen, I need it for this chapter to work out so pls let me have it.~~
> 
> Huge thanks and shoutout to my irl bestie and amazing beta [seeno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/profile)! I love and appreciate you friend <3


	2. Of Freak Accidents and Unreliable Teammates

"So _what_ made y'all think it was a good idea ta turn the gym into _a water park_!?"

It was quite the sight seeing seven tall high school boys cower away from one angry middle aged man. Varying shades of shame and embarrassment were etched onto each of their faces, conscious of the dozens of curious eyes watching them as Coach Kurosu ripped them a new one.

The coach had found out about the water fight that occurred the other night. The older man was generally mild-tempered and understanding, but even he had a limit dealing with boisterous and rowdy teenagers. It was a gross understatement to say he was disappointed in their actions—in fact, he had every right to be frustrated with their lack of tact and judgement.

And you didn't blame him; that was how you initially felt as well.

"You lot! You'll stay back for extra practice!" He ground out in a tone of finality, "One hundred serves! Fifty jump serves! And fifty jump floaters!"

You shook your head, feeling a slight twinge of pity for your boys. They all slumped upon receiving their punishment but you could see they had resigned themselves to complying when they replied with a disgruntled chorus of, "Yes, sir."

"Dismissed!" Coach Kurosu huffed out after he turned to face the rest of the team, "Leave the nets and balls as they are. Yer troublemakin' teammates will be cleanin' up after they finish their drills."

"Yes, sir!"

_How did the coach find out?_ You wondered, watching the starting members as they all just stood around at a loss for what to do after they were publicly humiliated in front of their peers. You were fairly confident you had kept mum about the incident. The boys too had avoided any mention of it like it was the plague.

Though you certainly weren't at fault for what transpired, you still felt a tiny bit of responsibility for their actions, so you didn't want to leave them alone. You tapped the side of your clipboard as you decided it would be best that you kept an eye on them—they tended to slack off without any supervision and wind up in even _more_ trouble.

You looked around the gym to inform the coach of your decision when you noticed him head for the storage room.

"Coach!" You called out in a rush as you ran over with the clipboard tucked against your chest.

"Oh, [Surname]," he stopped, "Do you need anything?"

"Ah, um, if you don't mind me askin', how did you…know?" You queried. Though you wanted to avoid provoking the already peeved coach with your curiosity, your desire for answers outweighed all else.

Thankfully, he merely chuckled before shaking his head with a wry grin, "They weren't quiet enough when I went ta check in on ya. I could hear them a mile away."

_So they gave themselves away,_ you thought in exasperation, _they blew their own cover._

You couldn't believe that many schools thought the Inarizaki team were 'cool' and 'badass,' when in reality they were a bunch of bumbling fools.

"Of course," You deadpanned, barely restraining yourself from planting your forehead against the clipboard, "of course they would…"

"You're too soft on them, [Surname], but they're lucky ta have you. If it were me, I wouldn't have let 'em rest!" Coach barked out a laugh.

Your cheeks heated up at the unexpected praise, "N-No that's not…"

"Anyway, I know that's not the real reason ya stopped me."

Your fingers clutched the clipboard a tad bit tighter as you shifted on your toes uneasily, "That's…"

"You wanna stay back with them, don'tcha? Shinsuke knew ya would, so he offered to stay back before you came up to me."

The coach walked into the storage room and pulled out a couple sheets of paper from the filing cabinet he had the school install a few weeks ago, "Tarou and I've got a meeting to attend, so I'll have to leave those troublemakers to you."

You took the pieces of paper he handed over, clipping them to the board before you hugged the clipboard and dipped into a bow. "Thank you, Coach!"

He gave you a final smile before leaving the gym with Coach Oomi following closely behind. Then, you hummed quietly to yourself as you looked down at sheets, slightly lost in thought.

Just as you flipped the page over, you felt a tap on your shoulder. You let out an embarrassingly high-pitched " _eep!_ " as you tightly gripped the sheet, nearly tearing it off the clipboard.

"Sorry, did I scare ya?"

You turned to see Kita staring in concern, and shook your head as you gathered your thoughts, "Sorry. I was just…daydreamin'."

"Be careful," he frowned. "It's not safe to daydream in the gym, especially with the risk of getting hurt."

"Yes, I'll be more careful," you replied, averting your eyes from the captain.

"Well, I saw ya speaking with the coach," Kita began, "I assume you know that I'm staying back?"

You recalled the coach's response with a nod.

"Riseki and Kosaku also offered to stay back and practice their serves."

"Alright," you said. "Will you be practicing yer serves too, Kita-san? Or will ya be keeping watch with me?"

"I could use some more practice with jump floaters," Kita replied as you both made your way to the others, "Are ya takin' notes?"

"As usual," you affirmed. "Since there's ten players, how about we split 'em into two groups? One serving and the other receiving. That way, everyone can practice in serve-receive pairs and I'll be able to observe."

"We'll do that then."

* * *

"Watch out!"

Without batting an eye, you took a step to your right, successfully dodging the powerful serve from Ginjima. A strand of your hair brushed against your left cheek as the ball loudly bounced off the wall and fell to the floor. Once it rolled to a stop by your feet, you bent down and grabbed a hold of it.

"Sorry [Surname]," Oomimi called out as he jogged towards you with an apologetic smile, "Ginjima's serves are gettin' a lot better."

"No problem," you replied as you threw the ball back at him, "I'm glad he's improving."

Oomimi grinned in agreement before he rejoined the court.

As you watched the team practice, you noted that the majority of them could use _a little_ more practice receiving. _It's an endless cycle_ , you mused as you turned around to watch the second court. _When they get better at serving, they have to practice their receives. When they get better at receiving, they have to practice their serves._

You walked around the two courts that the players occupied, making sure to diligently take as many notes as you could on your own.

Court A occupied the group practicing their jump floaters: Atsumu was close to mastering the jump floater and more or less demanded that he practiced it first with their starting libero, Akagi; beside the setter, Kita carefully took note of each serve he hit while making sure to keep an attentive eye on Riseki's receives; Suna, on the other hand, wasted no time, clearly wanting to get the drill over with and hit serve after serve at Aran, who managed to cleanly receive most of the balls.

The players on court B were practicing their jump serves: Ginjima, who had nearly pelted you in the head, looked incredibly focused as he aimed yet another powerful serve at Oomimi, though the latter managed to perfectly receive it this time; Kosaku too threw his all into each ball he hit, making Osamu use his full body to receive as many serves as he could.

It was to no one's surprise that Suna and Aran finished first amongst all the pairs. As you instructed after the coaches had left, they waited on the sidelines for everyone else to finish before switching and having Suna receive while Aran served.

You were reading through your notes on Suna's twenty-five jump floaters when you caught sight of Aran approaching.

"The spin isn't quite there yet," the third year stated, "you can still semi-accurately predict when it'll drop."

"Noted," you said as you added that into the notes.

"Jump floaters are hard," Suna grumbled as he slowly neared you.

"Not sayin' they aren't," Aran shrugged, "But ya could afford to take more time on your run-up and stuff."

Your fellow second year huffed but still peered over your shoulder. He stuck out his hand, wordlessly requesting to read through your notes. You handed him your clipboard and pointed to where his notes were on the page.

"Atsumu!"

"Oops! Ball!" You heard Atsumu shout, and you looked over to see what the commotion was about.

Akagi had seemingly fumbled his receive, resulting in the ball hurling towards your direction. Without a second thought, you snatched the clipboard from Suna's grasp and raised it over his head like it was a shield.

Suna jerked away from you and you saw him flinch when the ball ricocheted off your clipboard with a resounding _thwack!_ and flew towards the court it came from. It all happened so quickly that you could only watch in abject horror as the ball promptly pelted an unsuspecting Riseki in the face; the sheer force of the ball knocking the poor boy to his rear.

Everything and everyone stood motion still as you took the time to properly digest and process what just happened.

The muffled groan from Riseki snapped you out of your trance as you rushed over to the injured first year.

"Oi, Riseki, you okay there?" Akagi inquired, having been one step faster at getting to the youngest member in the gym.

"Ah?" Riseki managed to say, covering his nose with both hands.

"Someone bring Riseki some tissues." Had it not been for your reminder, the team would've remained onlookers.

"A towel works if you can't find them," Kita added.

"S-senpai? I…don't feel so good," Riseki groaned as his head was tilted back under Akagi's insistence that it would stop the bleeding.

"Riseki, don't listen to Akagi-san. Keep your head upright for now. Ya keep your head back and you'll only ingest yer blood."

The first year paled at your words and immediately lifted his head back into an upright position.

"Wow, when's the last time I saw this much blood?" Suna muttered, studying Riseki for a short moment before looking away with a grimace.

"Don't make it sound like he's dying!" Aran exclaimed.

"You shoulda been careful, Akagi-san! Now look whatcha did!" Atsumu piped up unhelpfully.

"Let's not go around blaming others," Kita cut in before Akagi could retort, "I don't believe any of us could have been prepared for what happened." As he finished his statement, you could practically feel Kita's eyes bore a hole in the side of your skull.

You couldn't deny the truth in Kita's words. You _knew_ that if it had been any other member in your shoes, you wouldn't blame them at all. Still, you couldn't help but mentally reprimand yourself. Even though you had blocked the ball from hitting Suna, you should have made sure to properly kill the ball's momentum. Had you done so, then the ball wouldn't have rebounded off your clipboard and hit Riseki.

But you hadn't expected such a strong and fast ball to come flying your way. They had been practicing jump floaters on the court closest to you, so you had mistakenly let your guard down. And your carelessness could have seriously injured Riseki.

You bit down on your lip and lowered your head.

"Oi."

You felt a hand muss up your hair and you scowled up at the target of your ire, "'Samu," you warned with an unspoken threat underlying your voice.

"What."

Osamu, _the little shit_ , smirked down at you, knowing full well how much you hated it when people messed up your hair. Your scowl only seemed to incentivize him to mess it up _even more_.

_And people think he's the 'nice' twin_ , you thought scathingly as you glowered up at your childhood friend.

"Y'know, he kinda went flyin' like _whoosh_ and then _bam_ ," Kosaku mentioned as he scratched his nose without any real concern in his voice.

"I still can't believe that happened," Ginjima sighed.

Before anyone else could chime in and tease the poor first year, the door slammed open and everyone hushed up at the sight of Oomimi jogging over with an ice pack and a bunch of tissues in his hands. "Sorry, I couldn't find any in the storage! I grabbed these from the infirmary though!"

_Why did you even bring an ice pack? If you were goin' to the infirmary, ya could have brought the injured along._ You sighed, shaking your head before reaching for the ice pack and tissues nonetheless, "That'll do for now. I'll take Riseki to the infirmary so the nurse can look at him. 'Samu, 'Tsumu, help me bring Riseki to the infirmary."

"On it, [Nickname]!"

"If you two don't return after you drop him off, then I'll triple your drills," Kita warned the twins, and you stifled your laughter when they shook their heads and crossed their arms in front of their chests as though they were warding off his very real threat.

_Idiots: the lot of them._

* * *

The nurse had taped a sign to the door telling them she'd be back in an hour. Luckily, she had the foresight to leave the door unlocked.

"We'll head back first!" Atsumu announced, gleefully letting go of Riseki after he had only taken one step into the infirmary. He shot you a peace sign and rushed out with his fingers still up in the air.

Osamu, who had to bear the entire weight of the first year, glowered, and under your careful watch, gently brought Riseki over to a free bed before chasing after his twin.

"Senpai, I don't think I can hold the ice pack much longer. My fingers are numb."

True to his words, Riseki's fingers were red.

_Perhaps it's from holding the ice pack directly. No, it_ definitely _is because of that, Oomimi-san should've at least covered it with a towel._

"I'll take that from you so focus on warming yer hands. Oh, before that, throw away the bloody tissues. It looks like your nose has stopped bleedin'."

"Thank you, senpai."

You suppressed a chuckle from escaping your lips, realizing that you might actually deserve the thanks you received. After all, the team hadn't done anything particularly helpful. If anything, they gave you _more_ work to do as per usual.

You heaved a sigh at the thought of the troublesome lot, "Riseki, I'm so sorry for yer unreliable teammates."

"H-huh!? N-no! It's okay! Really!"

"They're all chumps and dunces…well, except for Kita-san. Anyway, no need to hold back, Riseki-kun. My lips are sealed."

Riseki seemed to hesitate as he played with his fingers and averted his eyes from you. He took a quick glimpse at the bin where he'd thrown out the tissues. You followed his gaze and raised a brow. _Is it about the incident?_

"Well, what is it?" You narrowed your eyes at the first year, "Spit it out, Riseki."

"Ah, um…A-Atsumu-san…" he trailed off, looking around the infirmary anxiously.

You crossed your arms across your chest.

Riseki accidentally met your hard gaze and immediately spilled the beans with a wince, "Atsumusandidajumpserveinsteadofajumpfloater."

It took you a moment to decipher what Riseki had said, but when you finally comprehended his words, you balled your hands into a tight fist, knuckles protruding prominently as you tried to physically hold yourself back from chasing after the perpetrator.

"Are ya tellin' me that this all happened 'cause shitty 'Tsumu _didn't listen to me?_ "

The first year looked downright terrified, but you couldn't bring yourself to feel bad for him.

In the decade you somehow got roped into being their best friend, Atsumu had _frequently_ given you endless amounts of grief for not listening to your instructions. While you had grown used to his shenanigans, your tolerance for his recklessness, _especially_ when it could harm someone, had grown slimmer and slimmer over the years.

_No one was expectin' a powerful stray ball from court A. Jump floaters aren't powerful enough to seriously injure anyone. And Akagi-san_ definitely _wasn't expecting a jump serve_ , you reasoned, growing progressively angrier as you started to get the full picture of what'd happened, _he can usually dig Atsumu's serves when he knows which one's comin'._

You let out a long shaky breath and closed your eyes.

You could hear Riseki gulp in the silence.

"I see," you opened your eyes after a long moment and gave the first year a placating smile, "Thank you for telling me, Riseki-kun. I'm gonna have ta _talk_ to my childhood friend."

* * *

**Extra: A Familiar Scene**

"…I'm sorry."

The team bemusedly watched Atsumu bow with his head and knees on the gym floor as their manager stood with her arms crossed over her chest and a frosty look on her face. Suna had shamelessly pulled out his phone to film the scene in front of them.

"Is that all?" She asked archly.

"I'm sorry for not listenin' to ya."

"And?"

"I promise to listen next time. It won't happen again."

There was a tense moment of silence as Atsumu remained with his forehead firmly pressed against the floor.

Osamu quietly counted down in a volume that the two could not hear, "Three…two…one."

" _You fuckin' liar!_ " Their manager burst out and lunged at the frightened blond.

Aran immediately shot forward and looped his arms around the girl's shoulders. "Calm down, [Name]!"

"Lemme at him! _Let. Go. Of. Me._ "

"Yer gonna kill him!"

"That's the fuckin' point!"

"Ack! Ginjima help me!"

In the midst of all the chaos, only Osamu managed to catch the unrestrained grin covering his twin's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my amazing beta [seeno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/profile) for being a trooper and saving me in the writing process of this chapter! And a huge thank you to everyone who showed their love and support 🥰 I even had the lovely [animesportboys](https://animesportboys.tumblr.com/) create a cute [OC](https://animesportboys.tumblr.com/post/626800674294956032/meet-my-oc) inspired by this fic 🥺
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](https://espeos.tumblr.com/) now and I'll be cross-posting the chapters there


	3. Of Cheerleaders, Bargains, and Okonomiyaki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my amazing beta [May](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/profile) for editing this chapter! Love and appreciate you friend ❤️

Sometimes, the Inarizaki boys' volleyball team were a bunch of lost ducklings without their manager around— _e_ _specially_ when it came to communication with other clubs and teams.

It was rather comical seeing four second-year boys staring down at a third-year girl. The girl, based on her uniform, seemed to be from the cheerleading team, but the boys weren't sure what she wanted from them when she called out to them. After all, their manager was usually the one in touch with the other teams, so the players weren't up to date with what was happening beyond their tight-knit circle.

"I've got a favour I'd like ta ask on behalf of the cheer team," the cheerleading captain, Fujiwara Ayumi announced with clenched fists. While she was a year older than the boys, they absolutely towered over her leaving her feeling like a flightless bird being preyed on by a pack of wolves.

The boys exchanged fleeting glances with one another before Ginjima begrudgingly spoke up, "What is it?"

"You see…" Fujiwara began as she lowered her voice, giving them no choice but to lean a little closer to hear her amidst the background noise, "we asked [Surname]-san if she'd help us raise funds for the club, but she turned us down."

"She said no?" Osamu inquired as he raised a brow in surprise.

[Surname] was usually quick to lend the other teams a hand so long as she deemed the task within her capabilities, so they were all curious why she refused.

"Ah…" Under their attention, Fujiwara gulped before directing her gaze to their feet, "She was willing," she began to explain, "until we asked her to…put on our uniform for the poster."

An awkward and stunned silence befell the group as the cheer captain twiddled her thumbs and stubbornly refused to meet the dumbfounded gazes of the boys.

"Y'asked [Name] ta…put on yer uniform? Why!?" Atsumu reeled back in shock.

"I can explain!" Fujiwara sharply raised her voice, causing the second years to flinch and take another step back, "The volleyball team is _really_ popular and you've all _including_ [Surname]-san appeared on TV! So we thought that her bein' on the poster and all, that it'd appeal ta more people, like yer many fans!"

"But she already turned you down," Suna pointed out.

"If you guys who are closer to her than we are would convince her…it’d be very helpful! [Surname]-san seemed a tad embarrassed, but she might be willing if one of ya ask her! Please! I promise we’ll pay the volleyball team back somehow!"

Fujiwara had, in a calculated motion, caused a scene as she bowed to her juniors for their help. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to convince [Surname] to pose for their advertisement posters, but each rejection had fuelled her desire to succeed (even if the means hadn’t gone through the proper channels and all).

If it weren’t for their team running low on funds after arranging transportation and accommodation for the upcoming training camp during Golden Week, she wouldn’t have resorted to such underhanded methods, but she’d swallowed her pride as a third year and hoped that her plan would work.

"F-Fujiwara-san! You-you don't needa bow!" Ginjima stuttered, uncomfortable under the judging eyes of passersby as he overheard snippets of their whispers. "We'll help! We'll help!" he placated her hoping she'd stop bowing to them.

As if she hadn't caused a scene, Fujiwara rose with a satisfied smile crossing her lips, "Thank you, Ginjima-kun! The team will remember your help!"

The three who'd remained silent watched on as Ginjima rubbed the back of his neck with his ears turning bright red.

"Oh, I won't forget to mention you three either, Atsumu-kun, Osamu-kun, Suna-kun!" Fujiwara mused.

Before any of them could respond to her words, she quickly departed with a merry skip in her steps. _What have we gotten into?_ they wondered as a collective unit, while Ginjima ruminated over _how_ they could possibly convince the manager to help the cheer team when she'd already refused. Besides, if the cheer captain had failed, then wouldn't they be set up for failure too?

"Uwah, you went and did it," Suna muttered in disbelief, knowing the difficult task ahead of them, or well, Ginjima. He wasn't particularly willing to help when he hadn't even agreed to Fujiwara's plea for help in the first place.

"S-shut up!"

"I can't see [Name] willing ta listen, Gin," Osamu stated.

Ginjima fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "D'ya reckon [Surname] will listen if we all asked her together?"

"No way!" Atsumu refused as he shook his head and shuddered at the very thought, "We've already tested her patience the past few days. Who's to say she'll wait for us to speak before refusin'?"

"Ya pissed her off like twice in one week, 'Tsumu," Osamu responded.

"I-I—"

"It's true," Suna cut Atsumu off, not wanting to hear or entertain the twins' usual banter, "but [Name] already refused. Do you think she'll _really_ listen to _us_ of all people?"

"…No," Ginjima admitted after a long pause.

The group fell silent as they all pondered over their dilemma.

"Hey, you four!"

The second years turned and saw Aran, Oomimi, and Akagi approaching them.

"Why are ya guys just standing around there?" Akagi inquired, "Practice is startin' soon."

"Coach'll have your heads," Oomimi added.

Ginjima stared at the ground as the other second years pointed fingers at him. _The traitors!_

"Ask Gin," Atsumu said.

"Gin?" Aran asked tentatively, concerned for his junior who looked quite ashamed for some reason.

"Um…" Ginjima licked his lips and curled his fingers into a tight fist, "I…Imighthaveagreedtosomethingthat[Surname]won'tlike."

"…"

"Was…was that Japanese?" Akagi whispered to Oomimi, though the rest of them all heard since he wasn't quiet at all.

"I think so," the latter replied.

"Can you repeat yourself, Gin?" Aran requested, "This time, speak _slowly_ ," he emphasized.

"I…might have agreed to…something…that [Surname] won't like," Ginjima repeated almost robotically.

Oomimi looked alarmed before he scolded the second year, "Don't give [Surname] more trouble, Ginjima."

Akagi quirked a brow, "But what didja even agree to? Is it something that'll only really affect _you_ or does this drag [Surname] into it?"

"…It drags [Surname] into it."

"Gin!" Aran reproached.

"I swear it's not something _too_ bad!" Ginjima defended, "I just agreed to help the cheerleadin' team get [Surname] to wear their uniform!"

The third years fell quiet, staring at their junior in disbelief.

"W-why…?" Aran stuttered, wondering if Ginjima was pulling his leg.

"The cheer team needs some more funds, so they wanted ta put a picture of [Nickname] on an advertisement poster sorta thing," Atsumu cut in, deciding to finally save his friend from more peril.

"Oh, then [Surname] should help," Oomimi responded with a slight frown, "the volleyball team's in the cheerleadin' team's debt if anything."

"She already said no though," Suna felt the need to point out. _Why did everyone glaze over the fact that she didn't want to do it?_ he sympathized with being forced to do things that he didn't want to do.

But no one heeded Suna's words.

"Could be kinda funny to see her in cheer uniform," Osamu mused aloud, starting to see the merit in aiding Ginjima and the cheerleaders.

"That's true…" Atsumu hummed in agreement, tapping a finger against his chin.

"Ya think it'll be _funny_?" Akagi repeated incredulously.

"Yeah! I mean…we've seen [Nickname] in her worst moments," Atsumu smirked and shot his twin a knowing look, "Maybe…"

"Maybe it'll be worth helpin' the cheer team out," Osamu finished his twin's train of thought with an identical smirk.

"And it would really help the cheerleadin' team," Oomimi piped up.

The starting lineup of the volleyball team all looked at each other, most of them reaching a decision on the matter at hand.

"Ta make things interesting, how 'bout we have the person who convinces [Surname] to help the cheerleading team have the rest of us do whatever the winner wants for a week?" Akagi proposed after caving in and deciding it was _more_ work to reign in the twins than it was to potentially provoke their manager's ire _again_.

"Like a gofer?" Oomimi presumed.

"Yep!"

Aran straightened up and proclaimed, "I'm in!" _I'm totally havin' the twins do whatever I want every day of the week._

"Sounds like fun, me too," Atsumu nearly sang.

"Same," Osamu nodded.

"I kinda have to," Ginjima said followed by a long and weary sigh.

"I guess I'll join in as well," Oomimi acquiesced.

"Yeah, me too," Suna agreed, shamelessly wanting an excuse to be as lazy as he could for a full week. Though he had initially felt bad for their manager, he was lured into the competition by the tempting reward.

* * *

You ran as fast as you could to the gym, finally in your own jersey with clipboard and notebook pressed against your chest. You were later than you had anticipated since the physics teacher had a penchant for going off on _long_ side tangents.

By the time you entered the gym, everyone was finishing up their stretches led by Kita. The coaches were off to the side, discussing something in hushed tones, while waiting as per usual before they could cut in with their usual practice talk.

" _One, two, three, four_ ," Kita started.

" _Five, six, seven, eight_ ," the team followed.

You paid the team little mind, making your way to the coaches in a hurry.

"I'm sorry for being late," you breathed out as you reached the two older men, "I had to ask a teacher some questions."

"Don't worry 'bout it, [Surname]," Coach Oomi grinned, "yer still a student."

"And Atsumu told us," Coach Kurosu huffed.

You smiled back politely and asked, "What will we be doin' today?"

"Since we've been doin' some heavy training lately, it'll just be a free practice today. Anyone that wants a practice match can practice on court A, while the rest can work on whatever they want," the head coach replied, "you can help us observe the players for today."

"Yes, sir," you gave the coaches a final bow before stalking off to the benches.

You plopped yourself down onto a vacant bench and finally let out a long breath before fanning yourself with the clipboard. Running all the way from the class to the clubroom to the gym had been quite the workout. Temperatures were slowly but steadily rising as Golden Week neared.

"[Name]!"

You glanced up to see Atsumu walking up to you with his jacket in his arms, "Hold onta this will ya?"

He threw the jacket in your face—you had barely caught your breath when you smelt the rank stench of sweat, causing you to scowl.

"'Tsumu!"

"I heard about Fujiwara-san's little _favour_ ," Atsumu whistled, ignoring your indignant shriek as he wiggled his thick eyebrows at you, "cheerleader [Surname]-chan, hmm?"

Normally, you would have a sharp response to Atsumu's little jabs and teasing, but you could only stare up at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw. _I…didn't give anything away, did I?_

" _How?!_ How did you find out about that?"

Your childhood friend gave you an easygoing smile and slung an arm over your shoulders, "Fujiwara-san asked and Ginjima-kun agreed ta help 'em."

_Ginjima, you damn traitor!_ You internally cursed your fellow second year, scanning the gym for the perpetrator but he was nowhere to be seen. "Where is he?"

"Now now, no need to blame Ginjima, [Nickname]," Atusmu clicked his tongue a couple of times and moved to stand in front of you, "don'tcha think the volleyball team should be willing ta help the poor cheerleading team?"

"I help enough to appease the gods," you retorted, crossing your arms over your chest before giving him a petulant look.

"Ya don't think you could help _more_ to guarantee your way to a good next life?"

"I was probably cursed in my past life since I have to deal with _you_."

"Ah, well I guess I have no choice!" he cried out dramatically, drawing the attention of Oomimi, Akagi, and Osamu, who were only a few feet away from the two of you.

You narrowed your eyes, scrutinizing the blond as he leaned in close with a conspiratorial look on his face. You were instantly on guard and wary of his smug smirk and eyes that screamed he was scheming something against you.

"I guess I have no choice but ta tell _everyone_ about that time when we were in fifth grade and—"

"Oh, _that_ story?" Osamu piped in, appearing out of nowhere with an amused twinkle in his eyes. He shook his head, "That's weak, 'Tsumu. How about that time when we went ta Tokyo Tower and [Nickname]—"

"'Samu, that ain't good enough!" Atsumu interrupted his twin, "Instead, do ya remember when [Nickname] got lost in Kobe back in second grade?"

"Or when we went on a trip to Awaji Island for vacation?"

"Oh! How about in _Intermiddle_?"

"Better yet _last year_ when—"

" _Are ya fuckin' done yet?_ "

The twins immediately shut their mouths and took a quick peek at you. They paled.

"Ya both seem ta forget, but I too have known you for _a long ass time_ ," you nearly growled out.

You turned to Atsumu, "Do _you_ remember the time when ya _pissed_ yourself on Diavlo in our first year of junior high?"

Then, you faced Osamu, "How about you, _Osamu-kun_? I can't seem to erase the memory of when ya got caught having stolen a bunch of onigiri _only because_ you got food poisoning from bad sashimi?"

You heard Akagi choke out a laugh much to the twins' shame.

"Dammit," Osamu cursed under his breath.

"Well played, [Nickname]," Atsumu grumbled with a bright red face, "but screw you."

"Y'ain't the only ones with blackmail, dimwits," you rolled your eyes, "do you play me for a blundering fool?"

* * *

"[Surname]!"

You turned at the call of your name and saw Akagi jog up to you with a hand up in the air, waving.

"Oh, Akagi-san. Did you need anything?"

"Uh, well, you ran a little late today!"

"I had to ask Matsumoto-sensei a few questions about the upcomin' physics test," you explained.

Akagi let out a slightly nervous laugh, to your confusion and concern, "Yeah, diligent as always. The rest of the second years oughta learn a thing or two from ya!"

"Yer tellin' me," you grumbled, already anticipating a group study session with you basically teaching the idiot quartet test material.

Your senior shifted on his feet uneasily and you frowned up at him, "Are you okay, Akagi-san? You seem a little…off."

"Y-yeah! Wait, I mean no! I'm fine!" Akagi turned bright red under your concerned gaze, "I better go and start warmin' up!" He practically ran away from you.

You stared after him, wondering if you had done anything to offend the libero. He was usually easygoing and comfortable to be around. He also had a thick skin so even if you had offended him, he would easily brush it off and not let it bother him.

* * *

"Oomimi-san," you nodded at your senior as he approached you in the middle of a break during practice.

"[Surname]," he nodded back at you.

You handed him a water bottle and a spare towel, "That was a nice block just now. You completely snuffed Osamu's spike."

"Thank you, though Osamu kinda messed up his timing on that one," Oomimi replied after taking a large swig of water. "Oh, and I heard that the cheer captain asked for your help."

You groaned, "You know as well, Oomimi-san? Ya shoulda just said that from the get-go."

He smiled apologetically but pressed on regardless, "I think you should reconsider, [Surname]. The cheerleaders always work so hard for us during our games."

You gave him a strained smile back, "This particular favour was a little…undoable."

Oomimi furrowed his brows in concern, "Are you perhaps uncomfortable with wearing the uniform? I apologize if I'm bein' pushy."

_Oh my God, he knew all along. He saw right through me._

You swiftly turned on your heel and lightly bowed at him, "I-I should be makin' my rounds. If you'll excuse me…"

* * *

You scowled up at Ginjima.

" _You_."

He flinched and raised his hands up as if it would protect him from your wrath, "I-I'm sorry, [Surname]!"

"Don't even bother trying ta convince me to help, Ginjima," you spat out before turning away from him.

"Wait!" Ginjima cried out as he grabbed hold of your wrist, "I'm really sorry, [Surname]! I…I just felt bad for Fujiwara-san. S-she kinda looked desperate."

You deflated a little at the mention of the cheer captain. She _did_ look a little frantic to you too, but you didn't particularly want to put on the cheerleading uniform and pose for the camera. A part of you felt self-conscious about how you would appear compared to the trained cheerleaders. You also questioned if Inarizaki volleyball fans really did remember how you looked like or even liked you enough to actually donate—you were more than used to receiving glares from the team's more enthusiastic fangirls.

"But…the uniform," you grimaced and gestured vaguely with your hands.

"Y-you'll look good in the uniform, I'm certain of it!"

You blushed at Ginjima's words and smacked him with the back of your clipboard, " _Ya idiot!_ "

* * *

Aran gave you a pleading look, "[Name]!"

You ignored him.

"[Name]!" the third year looked a little betrayed, "Are you ignorin' me?"

"Listen, Aran-kun, I know exactly why yer talkin' to me."

"Hear me out! I have a good deal for ya!"

"A _deal_?" You couldn't help but let out a laugh in disbelief, "Are ya tryin' to pitch a deal with me or something?"

"More or less," Aran admitted with a sheepish grin, "but listen, I promise it's good!"

"I give, what is it?" you relented, curious about what it was that had Aran so confident in convincing you.

"We sorta made a bet and turned it into a competition," he started, "the one who manages ta convince you to help the cheerleading team gets to have the rest do as they say for a whole week."

You plopped your head down on to your clipboard and shook your head against it, "Of course you did…of course ya lot would have some ulterior motive for this…"

"But I'm gonna include ya!"

" _Include_ me?"

"Yeah, I want to win this bet and get the twins to do as I please!" Aran's smile turned a little sinister, "Of course, I could make them cater to you as well, [Name]. We can finally get back at them for makin' us deal with them for all these years!"

While the deal did tempt you, you felt more concerned about Aran's mental wellbeing. He was a little more unhinged than you expected.

"Are ya overworked, Aran-kun?" you questioned, studying the third year carefully, "I'm sorry I didn't pay much attention to yer stress. I just assumed you were used to the twins' antics like I was so I neglected ya."

"Huh? What?"

"Take it easy today, Aran-kun. You've been working hard."

"Wait! I think you're misunderstandin'!"

You ignored the third year again, walking away from him and towards the benches.

You only had a few moments of reprieve until you saw Suna slowly approaching you from the side of your peripherals. Groaning, you pressed your hands against your eyelids and leaned forward, resting your elbows on your knees.

"Whattaya want, Rintarou."

"Yikes, frosty."

You lifted your head to glare at the middle blocker, "Look I—"

"Yeah, I know I'm the last one to shoot my shot," Suna shrugged carelessly, "But I'm not gonna hound you about it."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep, you can refuse if you really want."

You squinted your eyes up at him suspiciously, "Are ya tryin' to do reverse psychology on me or something?"

"Nah, too much work."

"I guess so," you snorted at the very Suna-like answer you received, "so whatcha gotta say?"

"Ojiro-san told you what this is all about, right?" Suna questioned.

You nodded.

"Okay, so you know about the wager," Suna paused and you nodded again before he continued, "Help me win, then."

You were rather surprised by the upfront and shameless approach Suna took compared to the others. The rest had either tried to butter you up or _threaten_ you to help them win this stupid bet. Frankly, you were shocked that Suna even participated; he usually found these sort of things to be a drag and not worth the effort. He hardly ever got motivated by competition outside of volleyball, though you supposed the winning deal was just too good for him to pass up.

But you weren't sure if you wanted _any_ of them to win, especially after all the trouble they've given you the past week. And it wasn't like Suna had done anything to win some brownie points from you.

Your skepticism must have showed on your face as Suna went on to say, "Look it's a win-win. I get the twins to do my bidding which will help them get off your ass."

"Technically, Aran-kun's pitch gets the same thing done," you replied before shooting him a knowing look, "and I know ya just want to win this weird bet to have a legitimate excuse to be lazy and get away with it."

"Guilty as charged," Suna smirked and raised his hands up as if surrendering himself.

" _Rintarou_."

"But do you really want Ojiro-san to win this thing?"

You hesitated. Though the twins definitely drove you up a wall, you still loved them…and you were a little worried just _what_ Aran would do to them if he were to win this entire thing.

"I'll let you do whatever you want," Suna proposed, "as long as you let me have my lazy week."

"Whatever I want?"

"Within reason, of course."

Truthfully, you didn't mind helping the cheer team as much as you initially did; it was just the prospect of wearing the cute cheerleading uniform had you overthinking and doubting your self-esteem and image, but you found that you didn't care as much as you did before. Perhaps it was the team constantly hounding you about the matter or the look on Fujiwara's face after you refused, but either way, you were starting to cave in. Also, Suna had admittedly pitched you a good deal.

_Worst case scenario, no one donates to the cheer team and the guys make fun of me. But what's new?_

"Okonomiyaki."

"What?"

"Okonomiyaki," you repeated, "I heard there's a new place that has some real good okonomiyaki."

"Oh, I've heard of it. The one near the ramen place we always go to?"

"Yeah, that one."

"And you want it?"

"Pay for my portion and we'll shake on it."

* * *

"I'm surprised you agreed ta my terms," you admitted as you flipped your okonomiyaki on the grill.

"Why?" Suna asked across from you, flipping his own as well.

"Ya hafta pay for me."

"Yeah…so?"

You raised a brow at him, "You got your lazy ass out of the house…for okonomiyaki with me."

"I've heard that this place is good too."

"But yer not really a foodie, Rintarou," you pointed out.

Suna merely shrugged and poked the grill with his spatula, "It's no big deal."

"Why?"

"I don't mind."

"Huh?"

"Spending time with you and all. It's nice."

You blinked up at him in shock and if you were totally honest, a little touched too. Suna wasn't really the type to openly acknowledge or say much about his friendships. His nonchalant honesty left you feeling a tad bit embarrassed as you hastily shoved a piece of okonomiyaki in your mouth before you choked on your thoughts.

"Are you embarrassed?" Suna queried with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Shut it," you mumbled through a mouthful of food.

He snickered and ate a piece of his okonomiyaki, thankfully letting go of your apparent embarrassment, "'Sides, I owe you for saving me from Atsumu."

It took you a short moment to understand what he was referring to, but once you recalled the memory of Riseki's nosebleed and Atsumu's jump serve, you scowled.

" _Don't_ remind me."

* * *

**Extra: The Damned Reminder**

In response to what you had said, Suna pulled out his phone and set it against the wall _away_ from the grill as he pressed play.

For some damned reason, Suna had managed to film the entire process from the time he backed up when the ball ricocheted off your clipboard to the moment Atsumu and Osamu hobbled away in a drunken-like manner.

_When had he filmed this? What possessed him to film this?_

You couldn’t help but listen in on the conversation that came in the next video, when you and Riseki had stayed in the infirmary.

You wish you hadn't listened to it. You reached for the damned phone but Suna blocked your hand from taking it so you couldn't even delete the video of the team chortling at Atsumu’s sudden and over-the-top announcement.

_"Guys! Guys!"_ Atsumu in the video had dramatically called out as the starting lineup plus a couple of bench players sat in front of him as though he was reading them a story, _"Let me introduce the leading actors from today!"_

You glowered upon seeing the cheeky smile on the blond's face, violently thrusting a piece of okonomiyaki in your downturned mouth lest you do actual damage to Suna's phone.

_"[Surname] [Name], the knight in shinin’ armour; Suna Rintarou, the damsel in distress; Riseki Heisuke, the real damsel in distress; and…drumrolls please…the scary dragon, Akagi Michinari!"_

_"Wouldn’t [Surname] be the knight in shinin' maroon jersey?"_

_"Oh yer right! Good call, good call!"_

You heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of your nose as the video cut off then. _What did I do to deserve this?_ You wondered as Suna with his deadpan expression gave you an irritating thumbs up. "For those videos, I’m adding the most expensive dish to the grill."

You weren’t entirely sure the added expense was worth it just for his guaranteed week of laziness, but Suna’s unrelenting grin made you think that he didn’t entirely mind it.

_What did I ever do to deserve this disrespect?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diavlo (the ride that Atsumu pissed himself on in junior high) is a roller coaster at [Himeji Central Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himeji_Central_Park) in Hyogo. It is supposedly a clone of Batman the Ride (tbh idk what that is 😅).
> 
> Unfortunately, the fan favourite Kita didn't make much of an appearance in this chapter D: I couldn't really see him participating in the bet/competition and really didn't know where to fit him in but worry not, I haven't forgotten about him!
> 
> Thank you for reading this chapter and your overwhelming support with Inarizaki Memories! It's been such a pleasure and honour reading through all of your supportive comments. On that note, if you want to ask me anything, talk, or even drop an endgame vote (yes, these asks have already started coming in), then feel free to reach out to me on [tumblr](https://espeos.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy, and take care of yourselves!  
> \- Essie ❤️


	4. Of Tears, Insecurities, and Friendships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I'd like to thank my kick-ass awesome beta [May](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/profile) for reading over this chapter! Love you so much friend 💗
> 
> Warning: this chapter is a bit angsty (mostly hurt/comfort) with slight self-deprecating thoughts and dealing with insecurities.

_He needs to stop._

You watched as Atsumu clenched his teeth together and glared down at his hands after he hit yet another out-of-bounds serve. He curled his fingers into a tight fist, squeezed his eyes shut, and you heard him cry out an aggravated " _Dammit!_ " from where you stood.

It's been a while since you've last seen Atsumu this frustrated. _When's the last time he acted out?_ You wondered.

He'd been on a roll since the school year started: his jump floaters were harder to receive; his control over his spike serves were more accurate than ever; and his sets were becoming easier for the spikers to hit while drawing out their full potential. However, the momentum he'd built up had come to an abrupt halt the past week—he seemed to have hit a slump. Just this week alone, he was making more mistakes than the usual and it was evident to you that he was having a lot of difficulty simply _concentrating_ during practice.

In practice matches, the rest of the team would be there to step up and follow through with Atsumu's misses, but they couldn't do a single thing about his serves. His misses and errors were _more_ apparent without the support of his teammates.

As such, it was no surprise to you that Atsumu seemed the most fed up with his serves: his jump floaters, in particular, weren't getting any better since his control was spottier than it'd been in a while.

You could tell he was growing more and more frustrated with himself as the days passed by and his performance continued to dip.

_He needs to stop. He needs to take a break_ before _he_ _breaks._

If he were to continue as is, Atsumu would only make even _more_ mistakes and overextend to compensate for his errors. He needed to take a proper rest and you would forcefully put a stop to the hole he was digging himself into because you knew he was neglecting his own wellbeing.

There were no words exchanged as you shared a knowing glance with Osamu. Both of you had watched on in concern; this certainly wasn't the first time you witnessed Atsumu hitting a wall he couldn't break through. By now, you knew what to do: you needed to stop him from wearing himself out, whether he liked it or not. You feared that he'd physically wear himself down without realizing just how much he'd stunt his potential and put a huge strain on his mentality.

"Atsumu," you called out as soon as you grabbed hold of his water bottle that he'd neglected by the legs of the bench.

He ignored you.

However, you were unfazed. In his state, it was normal for him to ignore you, but it was a necessary call if you wanted him to get out of his head.

"Atsumu, have some water," you tried again, knowing from experience that simply telling him to stop would only upset him more than relieve him.

He ignored you again.

"…'Tsumu?" You slowly lowered yourself to sit beside him when he shifted his head _away_ from you.

"Not thirsty."

_Oh_ _—he's…more upset than I thought he'd be_ , you realized as you gently gnawed on the inside of your bottom lip. When he was moderately upset, Atsumu would _usually_ swiftly take the opportunity you presented him for a break knowing that he needed to cool his head, especially since his pride wouldn't let him admit that he needed to take one. In fact, you or another member of the team usually had to ease him into taking a break.

It was just that this time, he seemed to be more than moderately upset considering how he denied the opportunity you gave him. _He'd reached the end of his rope_ , you gulped as you slowly stretched your hand out to rest against his shoulder.

"'Tsumu—"

"I _said_ I'm not thirsty," Atsumu snapped, brushing your hand off with a scowl. "Lemme practice some more."

You clutched onto his water bottle tightly as a surge of guilt took over you. You felt like absolute shit for not having properly noticed your childhood friend's struggle this past week. In all honesty, you had been stressed and overwhelmed by the amalgamating tests and projects you had lined up for the upcoming week. You had been too caught up in your own struggles to _actively_ care about his deteriorating state.

"Atsumu, go and take a break," Kita spoke up just when you wanted to stand up and confront your childhood friend.

"I'm fine."

"It's about time we clean up anyway," Aran pointed out.

You got off the bench and took a step forward, "C'mon 'Tsumu, let's—"

" _Just get off my back_ , [Name]!"

You couldn't help but stumble a bit when he burst out, turning to you with a downright livid look on his face, "Yer a damn nuisance! I _said_ to lemme practice! What don'tcha understand, huh? Can'tcha fuckin' tell that I wanna be left _alone_!? Can'tcha fuckin' tell yer just gettin' _in my way_? Just _leave. Me. Alone._ "

It was silent in the gym as Atsumu drew in a deep breath after he trailed off in a grouchy mood. You wanted to open your mouth to say _something, anything!_ But before you could, you watched him look off to the side, and heard his grumbles loud and clear, " _You can't even do your job right_."

The gym was tense and still. Everyone had fallen even _more_ quiet after Atsumu's earlier outburst.

Your hands started to shake.

Yes, you _knew_ that Atsumu was having an off week. Yes, you _knew_ that Atsumu was the type to lash out when he was at the end of his ropes and that he didn't _truly_ mean the words he spewed out at you. Yes, you _knew_ that Atsumu didn't hate you or truly deem you a nuisance. You _knew_ all these things.

But—that didn't mean his words hurt you any less.

Frankly, you had also been having a rough week. You weren't able to concentrate as much as you did in classes and the daily tasks you had almost unconsciously completed before started to feel like they were too much to handle. You felt lightheaded and almost nauseous because of how behind you were on so many things; it felt like you had so little time in-between helping the guys study as you managed the volleyball club, all the while juggling your own studies. It felt like you were barely keeping up with your duties. You were only hindering yourself and your peers.

_Yer a damn nuisance!_

His words had unknowingly touched a nerve: you had already been feeling like a nuisance.

_Dammit_ , you cursed in your head, swallowing the lump that continued to form in your throat. _Dammit, dammit, dammit_.

You bit down on your lip as you balled your hands into tight fists. You bowed your head, letting your hair fall and curtain you away from everyone as you blinked furiously to stop the tears you could feel welling up from the corner of your eyes.

The gym remained silent as you inhaled deeply, trying not to let them know that your nose was beginning to run from holding your tears back.

You were very much conscious of the fact that everyone was staring at you and Atsumu. You _knew_ that they probably knew you were trying to hold back your tears.

And you felt utterly humiliated.

You couldn't even _look_ at Atsumu. You didn't want to look at him lest you break down at the sight of his face—whatever expression he donned: guilty, angry, horrified; it didn't matter to you.

_Not now. Not here._

You took a deep breath and felt your jaw tremble as you let it all out—the tension, the anger, the humiliation.

_It's okay. Calm down. You're okay. You are okay_ , you repeated those few words in your head like they were a mantra, a spell that would calm you down.

Thankfully, the self-hypnotization method worked, but you knew it was a temporary solution. You just needed to keep a hold on the mental strength that was steadily dissipating to hold your emotions in before you left.

With that final thought, you raised your head and glanced up at Atsumu. There was a slight tinge of guilt and remorse on his face, but you didn't want to see or hear it. You just needed to be alone, _just as he needed to be alone_ , you clearly recalled.

The damage had already been done.

"I see," your voice came out stronger than you expected, "I'll leave you to it then."

Atsumu didn't say anything as you turned around and faced the concerned gazes of the starting lineup along with the captain.

"I'm sorry, but I think it'd be better for me—ta leave," your voice cracked a little at the end and you immediately cleared your throat before continuing, "please excuse me."

You lowered your head and hurried out of the gym without a clear dismissal. Every step on your way out of the gym felt too loud: the squeaking of your shoes reverberated in the normally boisterous and bustling gym. You fought to keep a relatively even and steady pace even though you wanted nothing more than to sprint away as fast as you could manage to before you ultimately collapsed.

With shaking hands, you hurriedly opened the door and practically stumbled out of the gym in your haste. When the door shut loudly behind you, you immediately broke out into a sprint and made your way to the clubroom.

Everything had become a blur to you.

You didn't exactly know how, but somehow, somehow you managed to set a record in changing out of your jersey and into your school uniform without completely breaking down because the next thing you knew, you had reached the gates of your safe and familiar home.

Upon opening the entry door to your house, you gave your parents (who'd been shocked to see you back so early) a strained smile. You let them know that practice had ended early, but you weren't hungry, so you were just going to be in your room.

It was difficult putting up an unaffected façade for your parents as you made your way past them and up the stairs to the second floor. As soon as you locked your door, you headed over to your bed and lost the strength to carry on in pretence. You flopped down onto your bed and buried your face in your pillow before finally allowing the tears you had desperately held back to flow. You completely let go of the tight grip you had over your emotions. Within seconds, your pillowcase grew uncomfortably damp from the seemingly unending stream of tears.

You tried to not make any sound lest your parents come up and check on you, but you couldn't help the sniffles and breathless whimpers from escaping your lips.

_Why?_ You grit your teeth. You hated that you were feeling this way. In hindsight, you've heard and been on the receiving end of far, _far_ more hurtful words, but here you were crying over being called 'a nuisance.'

You've known Atsumu for well over a decade. You knew that he was just upfront about his feelings and didn't think twice about what he said in the heat of the moment. You knew that the issue didn't lie in or with _you_. You knew that he cared about you and always regretted hurting you.

_So_ _why_ were you feeling this way?

You turned your head to the side, ear pressing into your uncomfortably damp pillow as more tears rolled across your face. You sniffled, wincing when you noticed how congested your nose was from crying it all out.

You didn't know how long you'd been lying there on your bed in your unlit room, weeping and sniffling quietly to yourself, but you didn't care to check on the time as you continued to drown in the sea you called your emotions. Waves of sadness and frustration continued to pull you down, barely giving you any time to catch your breath and reach equilibrium within yourself.

It was only when a knock had resounded from your door that you were provided a brief moment of reprieve. You cracked open your eye that you really hadn't noticed you'd shut and glimpsed at the door.

"[Name]? I'm coming in."

You didn't need to look to know that it was Osamu's voice that sounded from outside your room.

When he cracked the door ajar, you turned your body away from him and pulled the blankets over your head before Osamu turned the lights on and sat down on the edge of your bed.

He didn't say a word for a few long moments.

"You've had a rough week."

You turned to him in surprise, pulling the blanket down so you could properly face him—that was _not_ what you expected Osamu to first say to you. "W-what did you say?" You couldn't help how your voice cracked as you questioned him.

"I could tell ya had a rough week," Osamu repeated, "and 'Tsumu's words hurt ya, yeah?" You blearily nodded as he shifted his body ever so slightly so that he was facing you rather than your window.

"Was it _that_ obvious?" you asked as quietly as you could, avoiding answering the second half of his words while hoping your parents weren't standing outside the door—after all, you didn't want them worrying about your troubles when they already had more than enough of their own troubles.

"Dunno," he shrugged, knowing exactly what you were talking about, "I mean—I've known ya for a long time so I had a feeling somethin' was on yer mind. The team was worried about ya too, in case you were wondering."

You pressed your lips together into a firm line.

"Sorry I didn't help," Osamu whispered remorsefully, "I didn't…know what to do when—with 'Tsumu havin' a hard time _too_."

"You don't needa apologize," you uttered.

"Then—you shouldn't either."

"Huh?" you blinked up at your friend.

"You were feelin' bad for not helping 'Tsumu or whatever else was going on in yer muddled head."

You turned away from him as you avoided his knowing look, not wanting to admit that he'd caught onto the truth.

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence as you both listened to the sound of the wind knocking against your window, but it was broken when Osamu rose from your bed and announced, "Okay, I'm gonna go down to help auntie with dinner."

You nearly fell from your bed when you removed your blanket in shock, "Yer gonna stay for dinner?"

"Yeah, so will 'Tsumu."

Your foot had barely touched down when you looked up in surprise, " _Atsumu_?"

"Yeah, well he's waitin' to apologize to ya downstairs," he deadpanned with his hand folded around your doorknob, "ya think you're ready ta talk to him?"

You couldn't help but stare after him even after he promptly disappeared from your view.

Atsumu had come over with the intent of apologizing. You had _not_ expected that to happen at all. He had just seemed extremely frustrated and angry that you automatically assumed that he needed _at least_ a day or two to cool off before talking to you.

Besides, it wasn't like you were _that_ mad at him. Sure, you were upset that he said what he had said to you, but you had already been beating yourself down before that; his words had simply tipped you over the edge you'd been balancing yourself on for a while.

"Yeah…tell him to come up," you decided, knowing that Osamu had simply waited outside the door instead of disappearing down the stairs. You confirmed your suspicions anyway when you peered over to meet Osamu's gaze.

He merely nodded before finally, and actually, leaving the second floor.

With the door shut (hadn't you locked it earlier? _How on earth did 'Samu get in?_ ), you pulled your pillow off of its usual resting place, sat back down on your bed and leaned against your headboard. Heaving out a long and shaky breath to calm your nerves, you pulled the plush headrest onto your lap and waited.

Soon enough, you heard Atsumu's hurried footsteps sound up the stairs and trudge down the hallway. His footsteps drew closer and closer until he was just outside your room, and you could see his shadow through the crack of your door. He seemed to hesitate a little before finally making a move to knock.

"C-can I…come in?" His voice sounded nervous as much as it sounded hoarse.

"Sure," you responded, keeping a check on your tone so that it remained even though your palms were clammy and your knuckles were turning a shade lighter.

The door cracked open and Atsumu walked in, eyes immediately falling on you as he hesitantly approached your bed. He averted his gaze and sat himself down at the same spot Osamu had sat himself.

An awkward silence followed and you found yourself looking away from him as well. You played with the flaps of your pillowcase and waited.

"Sorry."

You slowly shut your eyes as you ignored the pace of your bleeding heart. You heard him sigh, "I'm… _really, really_ sorry for hurtin' ya. I didn't—mean ta say any of that."

"I know," you murmured, still keeping your eyelids closed as you tugged the pillow a tad bit closer to your chest.

"Y'know that I'm an asshole. I say crap without _thinkin'_ about it. I don't really care what I say ta others…well, most of the time, but I didn't—I didn't realize ya were havin' a hard time _too_ ," Atsumu rambled, "Suna and Ginjima told me after ya…after ya left. I felt kinda shitty hearing that and well, understandin' your reaction…Ah, shit. I'm no good with apologies and this sorta stuff! But ah…yeah. I'm sorry, [Nickname]. For…forgive me?"

You had already forgiven him. How could you not? Though it was awkward and a tad bit too long, you knew that his words were sincere and genuine. He never lied to you when it came to the more serious things, so you believed him when he said that he was sorry.

With that thought, you opened your eyes and turned to face your childhood friend. He watched your every move, and you could see a touch of insecurity and fear clouding his usually clear and focused eyes. With a deep sigh, you shook your head with a wry grin and spread open your arms.

"Come here," you demanded fondly.

Atsumu didn't need to be told twice before wrapping his arms around your shoulders. He had been careful not to put too much weight onto you as you felt him rest his cheek against the top of your head. The corners of your mouth quirked up as he returned your hug.

"I forgive you," you whispered amidst the near silent gulp sounding against your ear.

In response, he squeezed you a little tighter and you reached up to pat him on the back.

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I didn't mean it."

"I know."

"I'm an asshole."

"Sure are."

Atsumu drew away when you responded to his last words and you grinned at his half-baked scowl, "We were _having a moment_. Ya couldn't say anything nice back? Like… _'No Atsumu, y'ain't an asshole, yer my best friend, much better than Osamu'_ or whatever?"

You scrunched up your nose and shook your head in mock disgust, "Nuh uh, you _are_ an asshole. To deny it would be a straight up lie. And I don't lie."

He merely narrowed his eyes at you before he poked your side, causing you to jolt away with a sharp gasp.

"Atsumu!" you squealed, trying to catch his hands while attempting to get away from him.

The blond quickly grabbed a hold of your forearm and poked you again with his free hand.

"What… _pfft_ …do ya—think…yer…doin'!?" you barely managed between his relentless attacks and your half-aborted laughter.

"Heh, made ya smile!" Atsumu sang gleefully, and finally let you go after one last poke.

You plopped back down on your bed, panting as you rested your hands on your knees, "W-what?"

"You were frowning a whole bunch this week," he explained as he seated himself right beside you, "though I felt like shit, I still noticed y'know."

"Oh…" you replied lamely.

"I was shoddy this week, I know that," Atsumu continued, "both in practice and outside of it. I was frustrated 'cause I'd been making lots of progress this past month, and then it kinda felt like I was takin' a hundred steps backwards when I only took maybe twenty steps forward."

You understood what he was talking about. That was exactly how you had been feeling as well.

"I—lashed out at you…because I was…frustrated, so…"

"Listen, I understand how ya feel," you cut in, seeing Atsumu flounder with his words now that you both cooled off, "I was havin' a hard week too and didn't fully realize how much _you_ were struggling. But it's okay to struggle. It's okay to take steps backward—you just have to keep moving forward."

"I just kept going backwards," Atsumu sighed as he crossed his arms over his head and fell back onto your bed, forcing you to shift your legs away or else he'd be lying on top of them.

"Then take a break," you said, twisting your body to look down at him, "just—stop and take a breather. Who knows? It might help you clear yer head and see things a tad bit better."

"Yeah," your friend chuckled, "as always, ya should really listen to your own advice."

"Yeah," you poorly mimicked him with a cheeky smirk. It was just a word, but it was enough to break the rest of the ice that had been steadily thawing since his apology.

"I don't sound like that! Don't butcher my amazin' voice!"

" _Amazing_? Whose voice? _Yours_?"

"Oi!"

"See? That ain't amazing, you sounded weird just now."

"Humph! Says the one with a nasally voice."

" _I was_ crying _, you asshole!_ "

"So? Yer voice still sounds weird."

* * *

After dinner, you and the twins stayed downstairs in the living room. They were setting up the TV and game console to play while you sunk into your cozy couch and watched them rile each other up as per usual.

You finally turned on your phone to see the time, only to see the lock screen filled with countless text notifications.

_Are you feeling better, [Surname]?_ Akagi's message read as you pulled down to preview what you missed.

_We scolded Atsumu for you_ , Oomimi had sent.

_You ok?_ was Suna's short text.

_I know you probably know this, but I’m sure Atsumu didn't mean it that way_ , Ginjima had sent.

_We spoke to Atsumu_ , Kita's longer message read, _I hope you're feeling better. Feel free to speak with any of us if you need to._

You couldn't help but smile at the team's concern for you. Osamu was right, the team had been worried about you too.

You sent them all a message through the group chat and let them know that you and Atsumu were okay now, that he'd apologized to you and you were sorry for making them worry, and then you thanked them for their concern.

A few seconds after you had sent the message on the group chat, your phone lit up and vibrated in your hand: Aran's name and picture took over your screen.

Without a second thought, you swiped accept and raised your phone to your ear, "Hello?" you tentatively called out.

_"Ah, [Name],"_ Aran's voice sounded through the receiver, _"I just saw your message in the chat."_

"Ya checkin' up on me too?" You asked into your phone as you watched the twins play Mario Kart: Atsumu was tilting his body to the direction his racer was going while Osamu was turning his head in sync with his own racer.

_"I was worried aboutcha!"_ Aran defensively exclaimed through the receiver.

"Yeah, well I'm doing bett—"

"Ha! I win, you scrub!" Osamu shouted out suddenly, causing you to nearly jolt off of the couch, "Sucks to be ya, 'Tsumu."

Atsumu let out a frustrated shriek and you clutched your phone more securely as he challenged his twin, "Again!"

" _Bring it on_."

You heard Aran's full-blown laugh come through the phone and you blinked in bewilderment, _"I see yer with 'em."_

"Ah…yeah," you laughed, settling back against the comfy couch, "they're staying over at my place."

_"Looks like I worried about nothing. You and the twins have always made up no matter what came between ya three."_

You glanced back over at the twins with a fond smile spreading across your lips, "Yeah, I guess so."

_"But take better care of yourself, [Name]. We could all tell you and Atsumu were having a rough week but didn't know how ta help since ya both didn't ask for it. Feel free to reach out for help whenever you need it. We're all friends, ya hear me?"_

You blamed it on the fact that you had already cried earlier but you felt your nose tingle and eyes sting again, touched by the third year's comforting words.

"Yer right…thanks, Aran-kun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, wowza I updated in less than a week!? I promise you that this is _not_ and will _not_ be the norm! Personally, I find that writing angst is easier for me than fluff so I didn't have much difficulty with this one hence the earlier update. That being said, I hope y'all didn't mind the angst in this chapter!
> 
> Tbh I was a _bit_ hesitant uploading this. I had planned on writing this chapter since maybe the last update or earlier? BUT there was a bit of Atsumu hate sent in my tumblr askbox a few days ago (the asker just seemed to be venting and not really being hateful towards me specifically) so the timing felt...off? Well, in any case, I hope I did Atsumu some justice! One of my biggest reasons for writing a more Atsumu-centric chapter was because...I was dunking on him too much LMFAO 😂
> 
> ANYWAY, thank you all for reading! I hope y'all have a great one and please take care of yourselves!  
> \- Essie 🧡🤍


	5. Of Unimaginable Consequences and Chaos Management

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delayed update! School started with a bang for me and I got lost in the sea of homework, readings, etc. etc. But to make up for my absence, I present to you a monster of a chapter (nearly _6k_ words!!!!)
> 
> As per usual, thank you to my talented beta and friend [May](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/profile) for reading through this monster chapter multiple times 💖

Golden Week: the national week off that everyone looked forward to every 29th of April. Normally, people made sure to spend time with their friends, family, and loved ones over this national holiday. Some went on vacation, while others used the time to take a well-deserved rest.

You, on the other hand, didn't even have a chance to properly enjoy the break because you were stuck in _Tokyo_ along with the rest of the volleyball team. The coaches had booked a five-day training camp with a schedule that was positively _packed_ with practice matches against strong high schools _and_ universities in the area. Frankly, you had expected as much being the manager of a top powerhouse school in the country.

However, you hadn't expected, or could've ever _imagined_ , to be stranded and alone without a teammate in sight on the first day of training camp.

It had only taken a moment: as the team was packing up and waiting for Coach Oomi to drive the rental bus to the front of the building, you had informed Ginjima and Aran that you were going to the washroom and to hold on to your bag until you came back. When you had finished and went back to the front of the school, you were shell-shocked to find no maroon jersey or bus in sight.

You _knew_ that the team was still in Tokyo. You _knew_ they would pick you up eventually. You _knew_ all these things, yet you couldn't help but nearly spiral into a panic.

 _I'm stuck in_ Itachiyama _of all places. In_ Tokyo. _Without the team. And ohmygodIdon'thavemyphone._

You pursed your lips together as you discreetly swallowed your grievances, desperately fighting the urge to let go of the reigns you had over your emotions and express just how upset and scared you were at being left behind.

But you were all too conscious of your…audience.

Carefully avoiding the gaze of the towering group of boys in yellow t-shirts and dark green shorts, you wrung your hands together and tried to calmly consider your next course of action.

_If the team is here, then the coaches must be. I should just—_

"You…you're the Inarizaki manager, right?"

You snapped your head up and gulped down the lump forming in your throat as you met the gaze of Itachiyama's captain, "Y-yes."

Iizuna Tsukasa was a household name in the volleyball circuit—and was one of the only names that Atsumu just wouldn't shut up about. Having won the best setter award for the Junior Olympic Cup, your childhood friend had sworn to best the older setter one day and always got fired up whenever Inarizaki faced Itachiyama in any sort of match, practice or official.

He had been extremely fired up at the practice match today though your team had ultimately conceded defeat to the other team much to their frustration.

You furrowed your brows at the thought of your childhood friend and the events that led up to your current predicament. The traitor—no, the _traitors_ had abandoned you. _How did the_ entire _team,_ including _the coaches just forget about me?!_

You were at war with yourself as you tried to stay composed and collected, hoping that the members of Itachiyama didn't see through your façade.

"So…your team left you?"

Those words were your undoing: you felt your face become hot and your eyes stung a little as you lowered your head in a meek semi-nod.

"Do you have your phone on you?" Komori asked kindly.

"…I don't," you replied after having taken a couple of deep breaths to calm yourself down. It probably helped that the boys were patient and seemed to understand your predicament without you having to explain everything to them.

In fact, the more you thought about your dilemma, the angrier you got at your team. After all, you had told Ginjima _and_ Aran about your whereabouts; you hadn't expected _both_ of them to somehow forget to check up on you.

 _And the twins!_ you ground your teeth together, _I'd_ always _noticed when one of 'em were missing but they can't even be bothered to do the same for me._

You took another deep breath in and let it all out slowly. "I'd put it in my bag before I went to the washroom. The team probably took it without realizing I wasn't with them and well, y'know _left me behind_." The last bit came out in a heated grumble. It was easier to let go of your initial anxiety over being left behind when you could channel and pour it all into disgruntlement and irritation—you were more than used to having to solve problems in this headspace given the many troubles your team kindly put you through.

"Heh, you're a sassy one."

"Aren't Kansai girls kinda like that?"

"It's cute."

"Well, in any case, why don't you come with us to the gym? The coaches often let us have free practice after practice matches, so they're in the office right now. I'll go inform them about the situation," Iizuna cut in before shooting you an assuring smile, "we only have our first year manager with us—the other is sick—and she's still a little inexperienced. I'm sure she'll appreciate your company and expertise."

"Expertise?" you echoed dubiously. You could hardly call managing an _expertise_ of yours when you simply rolled with the punches and followed the coaches' instructions most of the time.

"Experience," Iizuna corrected himself after a brief moment of consideration, "she was nervous about overseeing practice without the coaches and our other manager, so I'm sure she'll appreciate you being there."

He patted you once on the shoulder before hurrying off to what you assumed to be the direction of where the coaches were at.

"Welp let's get a move on then, shall we?" an Itachiyama member smiled at you encouragingly, gesturing for you to follow the team.

You followed after a split second of hesitation. _It's not like I can do anythin' else._

* * *

After the team had filled in their manager about your situation and introduced you to her, she bowed at you nervously, "It's nice to meet you!"

You smiled at her, "It's nice ta meet you too."

"As Iizuna explained to you, we normally have free practice after practice matches. Most of the team has already left by now and some of the bench members are in another gym practicing their individual drills like serves or something," the vice captain, Fukuda told you. "We were actually thinking about practicing our serves today seeing such nice serves from your team today."

You couldn't help the proud smile that spread across your lips, "Well they worked hard on 'em."

"We can tell," the third year wing spiker, Utsubo smirked, "especially that Miya Atsumu. We had a hard time with _both_ his jump floaters and spike serves."

You recalled the fight you had with Atsumu the past week and let out a fond chuckle, "He worked himself to the bone just to nail those serves of his."

"You're childhood friends with the Miya twins, right?" Komori asked good naturedly as you followed the team to the court your team had previously occupied during the practice match.

"You are?" the only first year starting member, Kanehara blinked at you in surprise, pushing the ball cart to the side by the benches.

"Huh, no wonder you can reel them in so well," the other third year wing spiker, Asaoka mused aloud.

"Ah, but Aran-kun and Kita-san help a lot," you replied, "though I _suppose_ Oomimi-san and Akagi-san help too?"

After all that had transpired in the last month, you weren't sure if you could call them _reliable_ per say, but they certainly weren't as bad as the rest.

Komori laughed, "You don't sound so sure! How about the second years?"

"Those guys? They're the troublemakin' bunch," you scowled, feeling a headache coming on at the very thought of their antics.

"Wow, even Suna and Ginjima?"

"Even them," you nodded solemnly with a half-grimace, "Gin is hotheaded and gets himself into shit while Rintarou is a piece of shit who likes to stir the pot."

"Rintarou…?" Fukuda repeated, "That's Suna, right?"

You flushed and hastily nodded, "Yeah, Suna Rintarou."

Asaoka smiled at you gently, "Sounds like you're close to your team."

"I guess," you nodded, embarrassed to be talking about the boys in such a… _gushy_ way around complete strangers. "I've known the twins since we were in diapers and Aran— _Ojiro_ Aran—since elementary."

"Have they always been _that good_ at volleyball?" Utsubo asked curiously.

You cocked your head to the side and considered his question.

"I…think so?" you frowned as you tried to recall. You've known the twins for so long that it was hard to pinpoint _when_ they got good at volleyball—it's just always been a part of your lives that you didn't think much about the beginnings. Besides, they and the team weren't the types to dwell on the past, only focusing on the present. You continued, "I suppose Osamu was always naturally better at the sport than Atsumu though."

The team all looked at you in varying degrees of shock.

"Woah, really?" Komori blinked in surprise. Sakusa stared at you with those intense eyes of his.

You nodded, "Atsumu just has this… _hunger_ to be better, grow stronger, and become the best. Osamu's a little more laidback in that sense."

"They seem so evenly matched," Kanehara uttered in awe before shaking his head, "I mean, the _ridiculous_ plays they just pull…they're just on another level."

" _Inarizaki_ is," Fukuda chimed in and turned to you, "Inarizaki is filled with monsters."

You couldn't help the wide smile that took over your lips as you soaked in the praise, "Itachiyama is too, though."

"I think Atsumu might be better because of his serves," Komori mused, bringing the conversation back to the topic of the twins, "I really have to work to get them up properly."

"His serves certainly have become more controlled compared to his past performances," you heard someone murmur from behind you.

Shocked, you turned to face the captain of Itachiyama in bewilderment. The one who'd got the best setter award for the Junior Olympic Cup had praised Atsumu. You were sure your childhood friend would rejoice and want to challenge the setter had he stayed behind.

But he didn't because he was off challenging a _different_ setter of _another_ Tokyo school in a practice match.

Scowling at the unwanted thought, you grit your teeth and inhaled deeply to get a grip on your unsettled irritation. The Itachiyama boys had all been kind and engaging that you'd almost forgotten about the reason you were stuck with them in the first place. Nevertheless, you still couldn't quite wrap your head around just _how_ your team had managed to just up and leave you _by accident_.

You really hoped it wasn't on purpose. If it was…

"Is something wrong?"

You smoothed out your furrowed brows and scrunched nose as you shook your head in denial, "It's nothing bad. I just remembered my team left me behind…Actually, can anyone spare me their phone so I can call 'em?"

"Sure," Iizuna nodded as he shoved his hand into his pocket and fished out his cellphone.

 _Iizuna-san's nicer than everyone on my team combined—and that's sayin' somethin'_ , you thought as you softly thanked him when he handed you his phone.

"It's no problem. We'd gladly lend a hand for the damsel in distress," Iizuna smirked teasingly as the rest of the team, excluding Sakusa who had chosen to stand a few feet away from the crowd, nodded behind him with their thumbs up.

You couldn't help but look away from their cheeky grins because it was a tad bit embarrassing being described as a 'damsel' when you were far from it with your own team. For the most part, they treated you like another one of the guys when you hung out with them or an overbearing parent when you got on their asses about yet another one of their antics.

"Oh, by the way," Iizuna cut in before you could even type in a number, "our coaches got a hold of your coaches. They said that you will have to wait with us until your team is done with their schedule for today."

"Ah, alright, thank you for telling me," you bowed to the third year, "but I think it'd be better if I spoke with the team myself, so do you mind…?"

The captain shook his head, "Go ahead. I'm sure your team would like to hear from you."

You gave him a grateful smile before dialing one of the few numbers you had memorized off the top of your head. You held the phone up to your ear and waited patiently for the person to pick up, ignoring the curious gazes of the group of boys and their manager around you.

_"Hi…who's this?"_

"Ah, Aran-kun."

 _"[Name]!?"_ you heard Aran screech followed by an uproar of voices on the other side.

_"[Name]?!"_

_"Is that [Surname]?!"_

_"Put her on speaker!"_ you could hear someone holler over the receiver.

Although you had been beaming in pride on their behalf just a few minutes ago, hearing all of the team's voices filtering through your phone _really_ impressed on you that you were truly alone, that they had truly forgotten about you. It was probably immature of you to stubbornly hold on to your annoyance at them, but you had been scared and embarrassingly close to tears when you realized you were on your own in an unknown city.

"I'm assuming y'all can hear me?" you inquired before hearing a chorus of affirmatives from your team, "Well then… _what the fuck_?"

From your peripheral vision, you could see a few of the Itachiyama boys flinch away from you.

There was a tense silence both over the phone and in the gym you were standing in.

"Ginjima-kun. Aran-kun."

_"Y-yes?!"_

_"H-here!?"_

"I swear I told _both_ of ya that I was gonna be in the bathroom and ta look over my stuff in the meanwhile," you started, your voice growing colder and colder with each word that came out of your lips, "or am I just imaginin' things?"

 _"I…ya told us…"_ Ginjima replied nervously.

"I see," you said, "I also swear that I've done the same for both—no, actually for _all_ of ya. Y'know waiting for you lot and making sure _none of you got left behind_."

No one dared to utter another word.

"I heard that the coaches sorted things out and yer gonna pick me up after y'all are done for today," you sighed, suddenly feeling too exhausted to hold on to your frustration, "we'll talk then."

_"Yes, ma'am!"_

You rolled your eyes in good nature before hanging up the phone and turning to the Itachiyama team who all looked at you with a mix of respect and trepidation.

"Thank you for lendin' me your phone, Iizuna-san," you said as you offered the phone to its rightful owner.

"No problem, got things sorted out?" he accepted his phone and raised a brow.

You sighed for the nth time of the day, "I guess so."

"Then, we'll be entrusting you as one of our managers for today," he smirked before lowering himself into a bow.

The team, _even Sakusa_ , followed suit and bowed at you, leaving you standing there gaping like a fish out of water.

* * *

You supposed you had no real reason to be as shocked as you were. Inarizaki was considered an elite school feared and respected by many of their peers, but you were all knowing of their unruly and headache-inducing antics. Still, you hadn't expected _Itachiyama_ of all schools to have their own brand of chaos that had you reeling and shockingly missing your team. It wasn't that your team _wasn't_ bad per say but you knew how to deal with them. You were entirely unfamiliar with the Tokyo team and didn't know how to approach _this_.

While you and Itachiyama's manager had been busy filling up the water bottles for the players, the team had managed to…get themselves into _something_.

You hadn't quite seen a sight like this with your team.

All the boys were congregated to a wall seemingly regrouping after _something_ had happened that left Utsubo propped up against the wall with a few scrunched up bloody tissues surrounding him.

You helplessly looked to the first year manager who just looked exhausted simply _seeing_ them; a look you empathized with _heavily_.

"They sometimes do this exercise where a spiker will spike at the corners of the gym to control the power and spin of the ball," she explained to you in a low voice, not wanting to attract the attention of her team quite yet, "Sakusa-san apparently did that a lot in junior high which inspired the team to give it a go."

In spite of the concerning sight that beheld you, you couldn't help but be impressed by Sakusa's work ethic. "Well, it paid off considerin' Sakusa's spikes are notoriously difficult to receive," you nodded in acknowledgement before glancing back at the team, "but we really oughtta do something about… _that_."

"Ah, yes, you're right," the younger girl turned bright red. She let out a shaky breath before she took a decisive step towards her team, "Iizuna-san, w-would you mind explaining what happened?"

The starting lineup of Itachiyama all jerked their heads towards you both in surprise, evidently not having noticed you and their manager.

"We…uh, we did the Sakusa drills?" the captain answered sheepishly, having caught your disbelieving gaze.

" _Sakusa_ drills?" you echoed.

Sakusa scowled and averted his eyes from you, "I told them not to call it that."

"But you're the one we took inspiration from!"

"Yeah, we—"

"Well, would anyone like to explain to me what these…'Sakusa drills' are?" you cut in before the team could derail the initial point of the conversation you'd begun (though you were going to have to address the real concern right after).

They all looked at each other a little nervously and you were hit with a sense of déjà vu.

"It's this thing that Sakusa often does," Iizuna sighed and started explaining on behalf of the team, "we go to the corners of the gym and spike the ball at the walls, trying to get them to ricochet off of each other, going from one wall to the other."

You blinked as you tried to process the captain's rather confusing explanation. You turned to the Itachiyama manager helplessly once more but before she could do anything, Sakusa sighed and grabbed a ball off the floor.

"Like this," he said before walking to a corner and demonstrating the so-called 'Sakusa drill.'

You watched in awe as Sakusa spiked the ball perfectly as it hit one wall and bounced off to hit the other. He caught the ball as it fell towards him and turned to you expectantly.

"O-oh, that's impressive," you nodded, temporarily forgetting about Utsubo and his bloody nose. It was hard to tell but Sakusa seemed somewhat pleased with your response as he nodded back at you, his face and posture a touch more relaxed than it had initially been around you.

 _No wonder he is part of the top three aces in the high school circuit. I wonder if I should tell the team about_ —

"Wait," you blinked again, "how did Utsubo-san get injured? Did he get a ball to the face?"

Sakusa looked away from you with a slight pout when you directed your gaze at him. You then turned to face the team instead.

"Sort of?" Fukuda rubbed the back of his neck and glanced back at his injured teammate.

"We split up into pairs," Asaoka jumped in, "spiking and receiving pairs. Utsubo paired with Sakusa and he'd gotten a little too close to Sakusa after he spiked. Sakusa accidentally elbowed him _and_ he got a spike to the face."

"W-what?" the Itachiyama manager looked back at her injured senior in pity, "Utsubo-san got… _both_?"

"Yeah, an elbow and a ball," Kanehara nodded.

You couldn't help but stare up at the Itachiyama team with wide eyes and a slack jaw. While _your_ team certainly got their fair share of scrapes, bruises, and bloody noses, you couldn't recall anyone taking an elbow _and_ a ball to the face.

 _At that point, it's just the work of the Gods,_ you shook your head in disbelief, _Utsubo-san must be cursed or something_.

You snapped out of your trance at the sight of the first year girl paling and shooting you desperate looks that screamed _help!_ You swiftly gave her what you hoped to be a reassuring smile before straightening out your maroon jersey, preparing to get into what Atsumu had labelled your 'demon manager mode.' To your amazement, you managed to get all of their attention with a quick clear of your throat.

"Has Utsubo-san's nose stopped bleedin'?" you asked sternly, wanting Itachiyama to settle down and focus on the issue at hand.

"For now," Komori nodded.

"Sakusa-san," you turned to the ace, "on a scale of one to ten, how hard do ya think you elbowed Utsubo-san in the nose?"

Sakusa scrunched up his face in displeasure, presumably at the question, but answered nonetheless, "Maybe six."

You bent down towards the injured player, "Sorry but do ya mind if I see yer nose? Just wanna check if it's broken."

He shook his head and removed the bloody tissue from his nose. It was certainly red but you were surprised to see that his forehead was pretty red and swollen as well.

"Does your forehead hurt?"

"Yeah, I think I feel a headache coming," Utsubo responded with a grimace.

You turned to the group behind you, "Someone, please get Utsubo-san an ice pack and some more tissues. If you can't find any, just get a towel."

"On it!" the manager immediately jumped into action and scurried out of the gym.

"I'm no expert but I think Sakusa-san elbowed Utsubo-san's forehead before the ball hit him in the nose," you deduced from what little information you got, "I'd expect an elbow to do more damage than a nosebleed."

Iizuna nodded as he gave you an impressed look, "I think you might be right—a Sakusa level six is probably harder than the average six."

Utsubo merely groaned in agreement.

You weren't quite sure what to make of their unique way of scaling pain, but you supposed anything Sakusa did amplified the amount of pain one normally felt. After all, he was one of the top high school aces in the nation.

You studied Utsubo's forehead again and winced, "That might bruise so be sure to ice it properly, Utsubo-san."

You were glad that the twins weren't here to challenge the ace—they surely would've jumped for the opportunity to replicate the aforementioned Sakusa drill. Sure, the drill itself made for good practice but the way Itachiyama had gone about it was…risky to say the least. Had it been your team, you would have been downright furious at them for trying something so recklessly stupid.

"Next time, please do not pair up in spike-receive pairs," you crossed your arms over your chest and gave the team an unimpressed look, deciding it was for the best to scold them for their actions. "I think the Sakusa drill is excellent practice for ball control, but receiving it is…well, plain stupid."

The Itachiyama starting lineup all looked away from you in shame.

"For one, stuff like this," you gestured vaguely to Utsubo, "can happen again and y'all can get _worse_ injuries from it—believe it or not, I'd say Utsubo-san's rather lucky he only got away with a bruised forehead and a bloody nose. Also, who's to say one of ya won't overshoot and crash into the wall or somethin'? From what Sakusa-san has shown me, the space between the ball and the walls sometimes isn't even that big. If ya only pay attention to the ball, then you can very well underestimate your surroundings. This ain't an open court. You are literally facin' a _wall_."

You took the time to meet each and every single one of the members, "Well, just don't pull that again. I'm sure if your coaches find out, they'll rip you a new one anyway."

They all paled.

"Get cleanin'."

Everyone immediately got moving on their feet, even Utsubo who got up with the assistance of Asaoka and Iizuna.

You took a step back and heaved a sigh of relief, running a hand through your hair. The trouble Itachiyama got into was very similar yet very different from the trouble your boys got into. You simply weren't used to Itachiyama's shenanigans and had resorted to just treating them like your own team—albeit with less sass and exasperation since you still didn't know them all that well. Truth be told, if the younger manager hadn't essentially pleaded for you to take control of the situation, you may have just let them run their own shit show.

You brushed aside any lingering thoughts and started picking up the scattered balls and throwing them into a nearby cart.

"How do you do it?" you heard someone ask you in a small voice.

"Hmm?" you turned to face the Itachiyama manager just before you threw another ball away, "How do I do what?"

"How do you know what to do? With the team?" she inquired meekly. "You don't even know them that well but you still managed to get them to listen to you. It's the same with senpai too…"

"'Senpai'…as in the other manager of your team? The one who's sick?" you clarified and waited until the first year girl nodded in response. "Well, we just have more experience than you that's all. And frankly, I wouldn't have known how to deal with your team had it not been for you."

" _Me_?"

"Yes, you," you shot your junior a kind smile, "I know you sometimes feel out of your element being around such talented players but trust me, you _know_ your teammates more than you think you do."

"I-I do?"

"Of course," you laughed, "I mean, I just learned a bunch of their names today!"

"Oh…" she flushed.

You shook your head before continuing off your original point, "You were able to properly access the situation and inform me what _likely_ happened. Ya weren't there to see it but you guessed correctly which tells me that you are already familiar with yer team's antics. You also knew to prompt Iizuna-san into explainin' what had happened while we were gone. I would have just shot at the dark and hoped for the best."

"But…you reproached them for their actions too," the younger manager pointed out, "I don't think I would have been able to do that."

"Ah, that's understandable," you nodded, "I mean, a whopping _six_ of them are yer senpai so it probably isn't easy for ya to just be straight up with them and lay down the facts. But in all honesty, I just treated them like my own team, though a lot…nicer? More patient? Well, in any case, I felt a little out of my element too y'know. I know _my_ team well and just got lucky that what I usually do with my team worked with your team."

"I see…"

You glanced at the first year girl again and gave her an encouraging smile, "Listen, I don't think there is a right or wrong way of managing a team. The team's gonna change every year and yer gonna have to adjust to that. Just trust yourself. No one's expecting ya to be perfect. I'm far from it myself. But lemme tell ya, it's a lot easier when you get closer to them."

"I…don't think I'm close to them yet," the younger girl confessed.

" _Yet_ ," you repeated before you picked up a ball and passed it over to her, "You still have time, so I wouldn't worry. It's only natural that yer feeling a little out of your element but you'll get used to it with time. Just be patient with yourself."

"Alright," she smiled up at you, "thank you for your advice, [Surname]-san!"

"No pr—"

You were interrupted by the abrupt call of the Itachiyama manager's name. She startled and turned to see Kanehara waving at her.

"Sorry but do you mind helping me here?" he called out from across the gym.

You exchanged a knowing glance with the younger manager and quirked a brow up, "Go ahead, manager-san."

She laughed and stalked off in the direction of her fellow first year. You watched as the first year duo laughed and joked around, evidently more comfortable around each other than with their older teammates.

For a brief moment, you swore you could see your younger self with the rest of the second years, all huddled up and relying on each other to get through the awkwardness of having to get along with your seniors as the newbies of the team.

* * *

After having been on the receiving end of your lectures, you could practically _feel_ the anticipatory and gleeful gazes of Itachiyama watching the scene in front of them.

You couldn’t blame them.

Even _Kita_ was lowering his head to you in shame as you stared down at the kneeling members of the Inarizaki boys' volleyball team. Hell, even _Suna_ looked thoroughly chastised and ashamed. Had you not been as irate as you were, you would probably find the scene in front of you amusing as well. Alas you weren't in the mood for fun and games. You had a rather tiring day all because of them.

And you didn't even want to think about what would have happened had it been _the last day_ of the training camp.

"You dunces _abandoned_ me," you started in a deceptively light tone.

You didn't think it was possible but somehow, your team managed to look _even more_ nervous and scared under your sharp watchful eyes.

No one dared to say a word or even _move_.

"You dunces abandoned me in _Tokyo_ ," you corrected yourself with a placid smile, "and there are…how many of ya? Around twenty?"

No one dared to answer you.

"Twenty members did not deem it necessary to do a headcount at the very least? Y'all always add me in these headcounts so _surely_ you coulda checked to see if you—I dunno—maybe _forgot your freakin' manager_?"

You had tried to stay calm but you glared at the herd of boys and balled your hands into tight fists.

 _Dammit_. Seeing them made you remember just how scared and panicked you had been when you first realized your team had left you alone in Itachiyama. Sure, the reaction probably wasn't entirely _rational_ , considering the team was going to stay in the Tokyo area for the next four days and would _surely_ pick you up. But you had been scared. Your mind had simply jumped to the worst possible outcome.

" _We're very sorry!_ "

You jumped as your teammates all apologized to you in one voice before promptly bowing to you in unison.

A moment of silence followed as everyone, including Itachiyama, watched as the entire Inarizaki team bowed their heads _on their knees_ with their foreheads nearly touching the gravel.

"R-raise your heads!" you exclaimed, snapping out of your daze and ushering your teammates to get up, "what if one of you scrape yer—"

Your eyes zeroed in on a bloody forehead amongst the sea of heads staring up at you.

"Riseki!"

"H-huh? W-what is it, [Surname]-senpai?" the first year looked up at you with his brows raised and eyes wide in alarm.

"Yer forehead!"

"Huh?"

The rest of the team turned to look at Riseki.

"Ya were too enthusiastic with yer apology, Riseki!" Ginjima managed before he burst into peals of laughter and nearly fell over an unimpressed Suna.

"Hey," the latter protested as he pushed Ginjima away from him and into Kosaku.

"How did you miss?" Kita glimpsed down at his hands in confusion.

"Yer hands, yer hands!" Aran waved his own hands around before folding them neatly on top of one another above his head, "You should've rested your forehead on your hands, Riseki!"

"We even counted down and all," Osamu said.

"Yeah, like we said we would," Atsumu nodded.

"Riseki, control yourself next time," Akagi said as he pat Riseki, who sat to his right, on the back with a shake of his head.

" _Next time_?" you echoed in exasperation, "Can'tcha just…not?"

* * *

**Extra: The Birth of (Another) Demon Manager**

"Man…the Inarizaki manager sure is scary."

Almost all of the Itachiyama team nodded fervently in agreement, thinking back to the events that occurred the other day.

"Did you hear how she spoke with _Ojiro Aran_ over the phone?" Asaoka recalled with a slight shudder.

"She even got _Kita_ to bow to her," Fukuda shook his head in slight amazement and awe, "I pegged him as the icy sort of unflappable type."

Kanehara glanced between his seniors with a frown, "Forget her own team, what about how she dealt with _us_?"

"Do you reckon all Kansai girls are like that?" Utsubo mused nonchalantly.

"I thought she'd be more…docile? She looked like she was about to cry when we first saw her," Komori said, tapping his chin as he thought back to their encounter with the Inarizaki manager.

"She got abandoned by her own team in a region far from home," Iizuna rolled his eyes, "I don't blame her for being a bit panicked and scared. I'd be mad at you guys too if you just up and left me in Inarizaki."

Sakusa gravely nodded in agreement.

"If anybody leaves me alone, I'm going to report you to the coaches. We'll see how you like your drills then," the first year manager accidentally blurted out after considering how uncomfortable it'd be just surrounded by strangers without an inkling as to where her team went.

Nobody spoke, shocked by the harsh words she had unthinkingly blurted out. They shared bewildered looks over her head, wordlessly swearing to make sure they didn't repeat Inarizaki's mistake.

She seemed to have caught on to the fact that she hadn't managed to filter herself and flushed before stalking away from them and to the third year manager.

"…Kanehara."

The first year boy flinched, "Y-yes!"

"Has she always been like that?" Iizuna asked with furrowed brows.

"I…don't know?"

The third years all exchanged a knowing look before taking a quick peek at their third year manager.

"Well, good luck," Utsubo patted Kanehara on the shoulder much to the latter's confusion.

"You too," Asaoka nodded at Sakusa and Komori.

"W-what?"

"Being a manager is tough work," Fukuda stated in an all too serious voice, "don't underestimate them."

"Seriously," Iizuna gave a resolute nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I went to Japan (incidentally, the Kansai region—including Hyogo since I visited Kobe) over Golden Week last year in [2019](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_\(Japan\)#2019_schedule), which was actually longer than usual, lasting ten days because of the [imperial transition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Japanese_imperial_transition) that fell on May 1. But MY GOD were the streets _BUSY_.
> 
> Another fun fact: I initially debated over whether I should write a manager fic for Inarizaki or Itachiyama. Inarizaki won out because (a) sorry not sorry but Itachiyama has real ugly jerseys; (b) I was too lazy to develop OCs; and (c) I’m just more attached to Inarizaki. But evidently, I still ended up creating OCs. 💀 For Itachiyama. 💀 Though I really can’t take all the credit for this one because my [beta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/profile) REALLY helped out with developing and coming up with names for the Itachiyama OCs so once again, HUGE THANKS MAY I LOVE YOU 💖💖💖
> 
> Thank you all for reading this chapter! I hope you all are staying safe, healthy, and happy!  
> \- Essie 💛💚


	6. Of Outings, Makeovers, and Gifts

You stood by the hotel lobby, phone in one hand while your other hand clutched the cross-body strap of your bag. Tapping your feet, you glanced down at your phone to check the time.

_They're late_ , you pursed your lips together and crossed your arms over your chest.

"It isn't like Kita-san to be late," Osamu uttered from behind you.

You threw a glance over your shoulder to where Suna and Osamu stood just a couple feet away from you; the former seemingly focused on his phone as the latter peered down from the side.

"Yeah," you agreed and turned to face your friends. "We're the only ones down here."

"Not surprised about Ginjima and Atsumu," Suna said before shoving his phone into his pocket, "I've never seen them early to anything."

"You guys should've switched roommates," you replied. Suna, for all of his laziness, was a pretty punctual person. Osamu, on the other hand, frequently got held up by his scatterbrained twin, who you knew from firsthand experience, would scurry around and get ready at the last minute.

More often than not, Atsumu would get caught up in looking up volleyball videos or the latest sports news in the midst of getting ready, much to your never-ending frustration.

"Nah."

"Nuh-uh."

You sighed but didn't pursue the topic any further, already knowing that the two were unwilling to fight over Ginjima and have one of them room with Atsumu. Ginjima wasn't the type to be early per se; he usually ran around at the last minute getting ready. Although he was hardly ever fully put together, frequently having a shirt lopsided, a shoelace untied, or a hair out of place, he always managed to be _right_ on time.

As Osamu had pointed out earlier, it wasn't like Kita, and by extension, the rest of the third years to be _this_ late.

You bit down on your lip and glanced up at the clock that hung above the receptionists' desk in the lobby. _They're late by half an hour_.

Just as you finished that thought, you heard a gaggle of familiar voices sound in the lobby. You, Osamu, and Suna all turned towards the noise and found your teammates getting out of the elevator.

"Sorry for being late," Kita apologized as the rest of the starting lineup trailed behind him and joined you, Osamu, and Suna in the lobby. "We had ta help Gin and Atsumu get ready."

"Ah, no problem," you sighed before throwing the tardy duo a sharp look. "Didja wake up ten minutes ago or something? Ya had four other guys help, and yer this late?" You tapped your foot as you jabbed a thumb towards the clock.

Atsumu gave you an easy-going grin before he draped his arm over your shoulders, clearly more than used to your spiel about his habitual tardiness, "Y'ain't happy ta see me, [Name]?"

You shot him a look of mock disgust, though you'd easily forgiven him, and side-stepped out of his arm, using Aran as a shield from the blond. "Aran-kun, a creepy weirdo is claimin’ ta know me."

"Who ya callin' a 'creepy weirdo'!?" Atsumu burst out loudly before lunging towards you.

You grabbed hold of Ginjima by the arms and thrust him out to your childhood friend while silently apologizing to the others in the lobby.

"Oi!"

You didn't pay the two late meatheads any more attention and turned back to the rest of the group. "Y'all ready? We're gonna take the next available bus since we're behind schedule."

Kita glanced at the clock, "The next bus comes in fifteen minutes, right?"

"Yes," you nodded after checking the time. "Luckily, it'll take us about five minutes to get to the bus stop. We've got enough time to make it before it arrives."

"Well then, let's get goin'."

* * *

You had already anticipated that you wouldn't be doing much clothes-shopping yourself with seven boys tagging along. Truthfully, you didn't mind and were more than used to helping the twins choose suitable and trendy clothes to buy for themselves.

You glanced up at the boy beside you, "Yer not gonna try anything on?"

Suna spared you a quick look when he looked away from his phone, "Nah. Too much work."

You chuckled at the very Suna-like response you got and elbowed him gently in the side, "Then why'd you tag along?"

"It's not like we're _only_ going to shop," he shrugged before closing the game he'd been playing. He glanced back at you as he shoved his phone into his pocket, "I want to eat something good."

"With 'Samu in the mix, we're guaranteed to try _something_ ," you shrugged.

"More like our whole team."

You snorted as you considered his words. The whole team was a bunch of foodies—even Suna and Kita enjoyed eating good food though no one could top Osamu. That boy had an endless pit for a stomach, and you reckoned that he loved food as much as Atsumu loved volleyball.

"[Name]."

You jerked away from whoever came up behind you, nearly crashing into Suna, who shot you a disgruntled look. Ignoring the latter, you turned to see Aran looking down at you with grave eyes.

"Um…Aran-kun? Are ya…okay?" You asked as you discreetly shuffled away from the third year. Over the past few weeks, you were starting to realize that Aran had moments that left you not wanting to have to deal with him…and this was one of them.

"I need yer help."

You exchanged an uneasy glance with Suna as Aran had a…fire to his eyes that left you reeling back at its intensity. His eyes were eerily similar to that time when the team had made a stupid bet for you to put on the cheerleader’s uniform—that time when he tried to pitch you a deal, which he had ultimately lost.

"With…what?" You were almost afraid to find out.

"Clothes."

A tense silence fell between the three of you as you and Suna watched the ace, whose face began contorting into something more and more desperate the longer nobody made a sound.

"With…clothes?" you echoed robotically.

He nodded.

"Wait, with _clothes_?" you gaped, voice abruptly rising in volume as you finally processed what you'd heard. You didn’t know what you expected, but help with _clothes_ certainly wasn’t it.

The third year had stared you down with an intensity that frightened you.

Aran gave another affirmative.

" _Why?_ " _Why the desperate look?_

The third year looked down at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ya see…'Tsumu said that I look a little…scary with the clothes I wear?"

"Scary?" Suna furrowed his brows and gave the ace a once-over. "How?"

"I don't know!" Aran practically wailed as he put his hands together in front of him, bowing to you and Suna. "Couldja please just help me pick out a better style?"

"So," you exchanged yet _another_ uneasy look with Suna, "you…want a…makeover?"

"Yes!"

In just the nick of time, Akagi walked past your small group, humming jubilantly and paying no mind to you three. Before he could get any further, you grabbed hold of his denim jacket and tugged him over without preamble.

"W-what? [Surname]!?" Akagi peered over his shoulder at you in alarm.

"Look, Aran-kun!" You ignored the libero's protests and utter bewilderment, shooting Aran a reassuring smile, "Akagi-san will help you out!"

"Help with what?" Akagi looked towards Suna in confusion. The latter merely shrugged.

"Help with Aran-kun's new makeover, of course," you replied in his stead.

"Aran's new makeover?" Akagi parroted as he gave you a flat stare. You returned his gaze with a sharp look of your own, the one you often used to get the boys to bend to your unwavering will.

Akagi let out a sigh before wiggling out of your grasp and facing his fellow third year. "Wait…Aran, why do you even need a makeover? Ya look fine."

Aran lowered his face, which cast a dark shadow over his eyes. "'Tsumu said I look scary."

"Ya don't!"

"It's no use, Akagi-san," you whispered, "Aran-kun, for some reason, thinks that the twins have the best style and fashion sense, so he trusts what they say the most."

Compassion settled in Akagi's eyes, and he gave you an almost imperceptible nod.

"Ah, well, I guess a makeover would be fun," Akagi said loudly enough for Aran to hear. "I'll help ya, Aran!"

"Really?" Aran stared up at Akagi with disturbingly glassy eyes and threw his arms over his friend. "Michinari!"

You stepped away from the embracing duo and sidled up next to Suna. "Why are the third years so weird?"

He snorted, "Tell me about it."

* * *

Akagi grinned up at Aran, "Ya look great!"

Suna only nodded while you threw the third year a thumbs up and said, "Looks good, Aran-kun."

Aran preened under the praise before scrutinizing himself again in the mirror for the nth time. Without drawing attention from your team's ace, you pulled the others aside.

"I don't really get the point of this makeover," you confessed in a low tone, taking occasional peeks back at Aran to make sure he hasn't yet noticed the three of you huddling up for what felt like a secret gathering.

"Me neither," Suna admitted.

"Same," Akagi followed shortly after, glancing over at Aran himself. "It's not like Aran had a bad style or anythin'. The clothes he picked out and tried on are pretty safe and still his style. Maybe he wore something more aggressive-looking, and that's why the twins made fun of him?"

"Maybe," you cocked your head to the side and tapped at your chin. You really could not for the life of you recall a time where Aran wore something "aggressive-looking," but you hardly paid attention to the boys' wardrobe since you all wore your uniforms six days out of the week.

It wasn't that you were unwilling to help Aran, and the rest of the boys, for that matter, with picking out clothes and whatnot. You were just worried that Aran was taking what was likely an offhand remark from Atsumu too seriously.

"Eh? [Name]? Oh! And Suna and Akagi-san!"

Your little group jerked away from each other and glanced up to see Atsumu, Osamu, and Ginjima walking over.

"Whatcha doin'?" Atsumu asked.

"'Tsumu!" Akagi looked relieved and waved the rest of the second years over.

Aran whirled around in his spot and gave Atsumu a challenging look.

"Why's Aran-kun lookin' at me like that?" Atsumu questioned in a murmur.

"It's yer fault, ya jerk."

Osamu nodded gravely, "As always."

"Oi!"

"What'd Atsumu do this time?" Ginjima already looked exhausted.

"Tell Aran he looks good, Atsumu," Akagi murmured, nudging the blond with his elbow.

"Huh? Why?"

" _Just do it_."

Atsumu looked like he was about to protest some more, but you silenced him with a sharp glare, one that promised retaliation. The former froze for a brief second before his twin eblowed him on the side. He perked up and sauntered over to Aran.

"Hey, Aran-kun!" Atsumu shot the team's ace a bright grin, "Ya buyin' new clothes or something?"

Aran narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

"Well, I'll help ya!"

Immediately, a sense of dread and horror washed over you as you took in the mischievous twinkle in your friend's grey eyes.

"'Tsumu—" You tried to stop whatever it was your childhood friend was trying to do, but he instantly waved you off.

"Are ya denyin' Aran-kun the chance ta get _the_ Atsumu-sama's fashion guidance?"

You groaned as you planted your face into your hands. "You _didn't_ just call yourself…'Atsumu-sama'."

"Hey! I am! I mean, look at me!"

Feeling a little sassy and petty, you turned to look at Osamu instead.

"Hey!"

"Now I'm just offended," the grey-haired twin said with an indignant sniff.

" _Hey!_ "

"So, are y'all gonna help me or not?" Aran's voice cut in through your banter.

You exchanged a look with Osamu, wordlessly begging him to reign his twin in somehow. Instead, he shot you a cheeky wink before nodding at Aran, "Sure, count me in."

Ginjima merely sighed. "Guess I've got no choice."

_If anybody asks, I don't know 'em_ , you decided as you turned to look at yet another rack.

* * *

"[Name]! [Name]!" Atsumu hurried over to you with a shit-eating grin on his face. "Look!"

Even without the prompt, you couldn’t help but gape at the horrible rainbow sequined— _what is that? A shirt or jacket?_ —cloth that he was waving eagerly.

"Where'd ya even find that…thing?"

"Heh, at the back of the clearance section!"

_No wonder_ , you thought as you forced yourself to look at the shirt/jacket/thing he seemed to want to keep.

"Get that thing away from me."

"Don'tcha think it'll suit Aran-kun?" Atsumu beamed up at you in childlike glee.

_He's_ definitely _enjoying this_ , you noted, scowling at the blond.

"Aran-kun ain't stupid."

" _Thank you_."

You jumped at the sound of a voice suddenly sounding from behind. Whirling around, you shot Aran, who had a smug smirk on his face, an unimpressed look.

The blond immediately broke out into a wide grin and stepped closer to the third year.

"Aran-kun, don'tcha like this?" Atsumu raised the offending piece of _whatever_ for everybody to see.

Aran swiftly examined the piece of clothing in Atsumu's hand before bursting out, "I'd like it!"

"…If I wanted to look like a damn unicorn disco ball!" Aran huffed as he waved his hand at it.

Rather than get offended, Atsumu's cheeky grin only grew at his teammate's reaction. "Aw, darn, I really thought you’d like it!"

"What's there to like about it!?" Aran retorted, snatching the 'unicorn disco ball' out of Atsumu's hands. He studied it closely before visibly reeling back in disgust. "Why are there holes in the armpits!?"

The team all gathered closer at Aran's indignant shriek.

"Where? Where?"

"How big is it?"

"Is it part of the design?"

"Why'd they even add pit cut-outs?"

"For ventilation?"

Akagi let out an undignified snort at Suna's last comment, prompting the others to point fingers at the libero and tease.

"What was that sound, Akagi-san?"

"Sounded like a pig."

“Can ya blame me?” Akagi queried and took another look at the offending thing in Aran’s hands before bursting into a peal of laughter. “Look at—Look at that... _thing_!”

As if on cue, Atsumu snatched the sequined monstrosity from Aran and put it against Osamu’s torso. “Lookin’ good!”

Osamu played along with his twin and struck a ridiculous pose with a straight face though you could see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “High fashion,” he deadpanned.

The group, even Aran, burst out into laughter at how ridiculous Osamu looked. You even let out an amused chuckle but started to grow conscious of how rowdy the team was getting.

"Look! Look!" Ginjima pointed excitedly, "Ojiro-san, what about this hat?"

The silver-haired boy reached over to the neon yellow bucket hat with a bright green ribbon tied around it. "It kinda looks like Itachiyama's uniform!" he said excitedly, sending the team into another round of raucous laughter.

"Let's put them together!" Atsumu removed the sequined monstrosity from Osamu and put it against Aran. Ginjima quickly followed suit and put the ridiculous hat on Aran.

"Take a picture, quick!"

Suna and Akagi swiftly raised their phones to the outlandish-looking Aran, who stood with his lips quirking up against his better wishes.

"Wait, put this on too," Osamu reached over and pulled out a banana print scarf from the shelf beside you. Without missing a beat, he unravelled the unnecessarily long scarf and wrapped it around Aran.

It practically covered half of the third year's face.

The boys all went into hysterics.

You shuffled away from your team until you stood a considerable distance away from them, willing the ground to swallow you up.

You could hear the judgemental whispers of nearby shoppers, and you wished you could just leave the team to their own devices as you feigned ignorance. _I'd be returning the favour_ , you thought sardonically, still bitter over having been left behind by the entire team not too long ago.

"[Name]!"

_No_.

Pretending as though your name wasn't your name, you sidestepped a couple (they were embarrassingly professing their love for one another in whispers) and quietly sneaked around the corner to the escalators that led to the ground floor of the department store.

"Oi! Do ya know where [Surname] went?" You could hear Ginjima call out while you escaped the premises.

Unwilling to be caught _and_ perfectly willing to ditch your team, you quickly walked down the escalators. You couldn't help the triumphant grin from forming on your face when you successfully exited the department store.

"Ah, [Surname]."

You barely managed to suppress a shriek of surprise as you whirled around to face Kita and Oomimi sitting outside on a nearby bench.

"K-Kita-san? Oomimi-san?" You blinked owlishly at them before craning your neck back at the store. _When had they…?_

You turned back around to stare down at the pair of quiet third years. "When did you…?"

"Finish shopping?" Oomimi finished for you.

You nodded, still a little speechless.

Kita pulled out his phone from his pocket and flipped it open. "Around twenty minutes ago."

"Didja just stay out here…for twenty minutes?"

Oomimi nodded, "Shinsuke and I didn't want you all to feel pressured to wrap up your shopping, so we decided ta wait outside for you all."

"That's…kind of you?" _Did they miss the ruckus?_

"How long do you think it'll take the rest of them to come out?"

You tilted your head to the side and tapped a finger to your chin, "Not sure. They seemed to be _preoccupied_."

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

"Well then, the only thing we can do is wait," Kita cut in with a tone of finality.

You let out a long sigh and resigned yourself to the possibility of staying out here for a while.

It had taken another ten minutes before Akagi and Suna stepped out of the department store. They did a double-take at the sight of your little waiting group on a bench several feet away from the entrance of the department store. The two of them shot you betrayed looks as they joined you, Kita, and Oomimi.

"Why'dja just leave?" Akagi grumbled to you as he plopped down on the bench beside Oomimi.

"Y'all were getting too embarrassin' for me to deal with," you deadpanned.

Suna squeezed in beside Kita and nodded solemnly, "That's why we left too."

"How long do ya think it'll take the rest of 'em to find us?" Oomimi wondered aloud.

You shot Suna and Akagi an expectant look. After all, they had been the last ones with the obnoxious group.

"It's Gin, Atsumu, Osamu, and Aran," Akagi merely stated.

"Well, this oughtta be some fun," you shrugged, taking an admittedly tight seat beside your only second year companion and captain.

"How long do you think it'll take them?" Suna asked.

You considered the group as you hummed, "Do ya really think they'll come out without our intervention?"

Suna thought about it for a brief moment before shaking his head, "Nah, the ones left behind are…"

"Kinda dumb at times," Akagi finished for the second year. "Well, it's more like they aren't a good group ta be left alone together."

"The chaotic twins, the reactive Aran, and the comparably spineless Ginjima," Oomimi nodded sagely.

"'Comparably spineless'?" you choked out a laugh at the third year's unexpected statement.

"Compared to the rest of them."

"I…guess?"

* * *

"Should we just leave them?" Akagi asked after a long moment of silence where everybody busied themselves with their phones.

You glanced back at the department store warily, "They're takin' a little too long…I'm worried for them."

"Why didn't they think to call us?" Suna wondered as he glanced down at his phone log, checking to make sure he hadn't accidentally missed one of their calls.

You simultaneously wanted to shake your friend and slap yourself for not realizing the possibility in the first place. "We should call them then."

"Nah," Akagi smirked, "I wanna see how long it'll take them to realize they could just call us."

"What if their phones died?" Oomimi mused.

"What if they ran off without us?"

"All at once?" Your brows furrowed together, doubtful of the chances but still considering it because their group wasn't exactly the brightest when put together. If anything, they would bring the worst out of each other, as Akagi had noted earlier.

"While it's possible, I don't think Aran would be irresponsible enough to bring a dyin' phone out with him," Kita shook his head. "Besides, I room with him, and his phone was fully charged before we left."

"And we didn't really use our phones much," Suna pointed out.

_Though Rintarou used his phone the most_ , you thought to yourself as you peered over your friend's shoulder to see him mindlessly play a match-three game on his phone.

"Let's just wait and see!" Akagi insisted before turning to you with a grin, "[Surname]! Don'tcha want revenge on them for leavin' ya behind?"

A wave of irritation welled up in you as you recalled the… _Itachiyama incident_. "Don't remind me," you quipped. _Y'all were involved too, but you don't see me saying anything_.

"It's mostly Aran and Gin's faults," Oomimi added. You shot the third year middle blocker a withering look, knowing full well that he simply wanted to pawn off the responsibility to the ones who were _mostly_ at fault.

"It's yer faults too," you grouched.

Akagi poked your forehead, unintentionally smoothening out your furrowed brows. "C'mon, [Surname]! Don't be like that. Ya _know_ we're awfully sorry 'bout that."

_Well, Riseki_ had _scraped his forehead against the gravel for me. And_ Kita-san _had even bowed to me_.

"I know…" you leaned back onto the bench with a defeated sigh.

A brief lull of silence befell your group before Oomimi and Akagi started instructing Suna on his next moves for the game he'd been playing the entire time. You tuned them out and blankly stared up at the department store, wondering if the four would manage to come out before they got too hungry. After all, it _was_ almost lunchtime, and you knew the team was looking forward to hunting down a good restaurant.

"[Surname]."

You turned your head at the call of your name, snapping out of your daze before meeting the steady gaze of Kita.

"Would ya mind helpin' me shop?" Kita asked.

You couldn't help but stare at the captain in shock, wondering if you had heard correctly. _Kita-san needs_ help _shopping?_

"I…don't mind," you answered, realizing that your senior was looking at you expectantly, "I don't know if I can help you much, though." You looked at the bag in his hand pointedly.

"Ah, these?" Kita lifted the bag and shook his head, "I should've clarified. I meant to ask you for help picking out somethin' for Granny."

You glanced back at the department store your lost quad was _still_ navigating. "Do we just…leave them be?"

"They should realize that they have phones and can contact us if need be," Kita stated. "It's foolish of them to forget that they have the means to contact us."

You stared at the team captain dubiously.

"Kita-san?"

"Yes?"

"Ya just wanna teach them a lesson, don’t you?"

Kita neither confirmed nor denied his intention.

"Well, we're on the same side, so I'll help you!" You rubbed your hands together with a conspiratorial grin.

Kita visibly relaxed at your words and nodded at you, "I saw this quaint lookin' shop close by. I think we could find something for Granny there."

"Sure," you replied before lowering your voice so that the rest wouldn't hear, "should we just leave Oomimi-san, Akagi-san, and Rintarou?"

He leaned back to study the three boys in question, "Rintarou might wanna stay back to see how this all blows up."

"Yer right," you hummed slowly.

* * *

**Extra #1: Gift for Granny**

"How about this?"

You raised your head and glanced over at Kita, who held up a thick woollen scarf.

"It's nice, but your grandmother won't be able to wear it for a while," you pointed out. "Maybe a lighter one?"

"A lighter one?" He blinked back at you in confusion.

"Yeah!" You scanned the area for a lighter scarf Kita's grandmother could wear in the springtime. Within seconds, you noticed a nearby rack of lighter scarves a few feet away. "How about that?" you gestured.

Kita directed his gaze to where you were pointing. He walked towards the rack and slowly scanned the scarves with a comical intensity. Then, he picked one out with a satisfied nod. "I think this will do."

"Great!" You gave two thumbs up as you followed him to the cashier.

"Thank ya, [Surname]. I'll cover for your lunch."

You perked up at the promise of free food but didn’t want to seem too eager even though it was no secret that you were weak to such tradeoffs. You normally caved into the boys’ requests whenever they promised to cover for your meals. "Are ya sure, Kita-san? I didn't do much."

"Consider it my thanks and apologies for…leavin' ya at Itachiyama," Kita replied with a sheepish look on his usually stoic face.

"Ah," you nodded with a smug grin, "I'll gladly accept yer kind offer, then!"

* * *

**Extra #2: The Realization**

Ginjima sighed as he watched the trio of long time friends bicker amongst each other as they all rode the escalator to the third floor. They were hoping that their manager had stalked off to the girls' section of the department store.

He shoved his hands deep into his pocket, fingers brushing past his wallet, eventually touching the hard and flat surface of his… _phone_.

"Guys." Ginjima felt his eyes widen as he fished his phone out of his pocket and stared down at it in disbelief.

_Why didn't I…?_

" _Guys_ ," Ginjima repeated a tad bit louder, clutching the device tightly in his hand.

"What is it, Gin?" Aran enquired in concern. The second year looked as though he had seen a ghost with his face rapidly losing colour and eyes wide.

"We…coulda just _called_ them."

The group fell silent as they all processed Ginjima's words, staring down at the lone phone with varying degrees of shock and disbelief.

Osamu was the first to break out of the funk and whipped out his phone, speed dialling the last number in his call log.

_"Hello?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! Thank you all for your patience! I can't believe it has been FOUR months since I've last updated _Inarizaki Memories_... Long story short, I've just been incredibly busy with school and work. I hope to get back to updating more regularly!
> 
> Thank you as always to my amazing beta [May](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/profile) for editing this chapter! Your work is always appreciated friend 💖
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy!  
> \- Essie ❤️

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Dire Amusement](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26830774) by [seeno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/pseuds/seeno)
  * [Honest to a Fault](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29229981) by [seeno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeno/pseuds/seeno)




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